The Forbidden Game 4: Hunters Moon
by Almaria
Summary: Set 5 years after the last book, Jenny and her friends return to Vista Grande for one last summer COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the charactors in this story. They are all the property of L.j. Smith.

**Prologue**

Lightning flashed in the misty skies, illuminating the jagged peaks and ridges of the land below; Ice, mist and shadows stretching into the distance. The shadow men had gathered for a conference. They were ancient beyond years, merciless and unpredictable, living in a land that was as cruel as them; travelling alongside earth but never quite touching. They had once been devastatingly beautiful, born in perfection, but centuries of malice had reflected on their features – and they mirrored their souls; hideous and deformed.

The stave of life lay, pulsating with energy, in the middle of a circle surrounded by the elders of the shadow race. It was the only beam of light in the thick murky darkness.

It was time to commence the ritual. Every 500 years a new shadow man was formed, carved into the Stave to continue the lineage of the Niflehiem race. "It is time" said a voice like wind chimes, musical, cold and malicious. "But who shall be the heir?" said another. A pause, then "Not him?!" said a voice like broken glass slowly, "He would remember everything!…"."Then perhaps it should be him!", said the voice like wind chimes, mockingly, " After all, It would provide us with a new game…" "Yes" agreed another, "We've been far too bored for far too long!" A chilling laugh resounded through the mist, echoing into the distance, as the eldest shadow man carved a name into existence. "This will be our sport" said a voice like rain on water, "yes" said another laughing, malice lining every word "our sport". Slowly the laughter evaporated as the elders departed.

A thick white mist developed in the darkness of the circle as the newest shadow man formed. Confused, alone and with mounting anger, Julian lay on the rough ground- and he remembered; everything.

**Chapter 1.**

Jenny Thornton sighed deeply as she glanced once again at her watch. Tom was late. Tom's never late, she thought, agitated her foot tapping impatiently on the living room floor. Today was a big day. After having sworn for many years that college was not right for her, Dee Eliade had applied to colleges and had been flooded with acceptances. All the colleges wanted Dee for her natural athletic abilities. She had finally accepted a place in UCLA, a course that offered the opportunity to mix athletics with learning – perfect for Dee. And today was graduation – which Jenny was going to miss if Tom didn't hurry up. Where is he? She thought, impatience welling up again – no don't get angry its Dee's big day! It was all thanks to Julian really, she mused. Dee would never have considered the idea of college if her experience with Julian hadn't opened her mind, and, Jenny thought, given her the courage to believe in herself. Dee had always been sporty but had used her ability as a shield against academic pursuits. Pursuits she had thought she wasn't able for. How wrong she had been.

The ring of the doorbell roused her from her thoughts, "Finally!" Jenny said to herself as she gathered her coat and bag and made her way to Tom. "What happened?! You were supposed to be here 20 minutes ago" "Sorry Thorny, the tire burst and as it turns out the spare had a flat too, had to hitch a ride to the gas station to get it fixed." "That's ok" Jenny said "Doesn't matter we'll make it anyway". Her feelings for Tom hadn't changed one bit. They were still as strong- stronger, than the day she first saw him in 2nd grade and stronger than when she saved him from Julian and the shadow-men. "How much he's changed since then", she mused casting a fond glance his direction, "especially with me".

Ever since "The Julian Episode", as Audrey liked to call it, Tom had treated Jenny as her own person. She was no longer just "Thorny" his girlfriend. She was Jenny Thornton, his partner, his equal. And he loved her, which to Jenny was the most important thing. She still wore Julian's ring, her emblem of good overcoming evil. Tom understood, and she loved him all the more for it.

"Are we meeting Audrey and Summer there?" Tom asked, "yup"" Jenny replied. "And Michael is bringing Zach along I think Zach is going to be staying with him for the summer" Zach had never gotten along with his father and it had just gotten worse after he was trapped in the shadow world by Julian. Jenny's uncle had never believed that Zach had been kidnapped by Julian – well, none of the parents did, but Uncle Jack had been apoplectic with anger. He believed Zach had made it all up along with Jenny and the rest – as a result of drugs or something worse. Zach had never been comfortable at home after that and after he joined college had never returned.

It had been 4 years since they graduated high school – 5 since Julian came into their lives, and so much had changed. Audrey and Michael had broken up. They had stayed together for senior year but had decided before going their separate ways to college, Audrey to study languages in Harvard and Michael to study psychology in Berkeley that it was better to break up. It had been amicable enough, but recently there had been an undercurrent whenever the group reunited. An unspoken barrier between the 2, that Jenny couldn't understand. Maybe, since they were all back together for the summer, it would be better Jenny thought. She would make it better. They had been through too much – knew too much about each other, to be keeping secrets now.

Summer had changed most of all. More confident, perceptive and more aware of her surroundings. There was still an air of sweetness about her, a – muddled air that would always be unique to Summer alone. Her parents had been overjoyed at her return. And Cam, well the look in Cam's eyes at the return of his older sister had been the most rewarding experience of Jenny's life. The tough kid disappeared, leaving a vulnerable blond kid who was heart breakingly happy his sister was home and that his family was whole. It had, in fact inspired Jenny's career path. She had always loved children and so Child counselling had been the right choice for her. She had another year in college and then she would be qualified.

"We're here". Excitement rushed through Jenny, "Oh my God Tom!" Jenny said, twisting in her seat to look at him, green eyes flashing. "Can you believe it! Dee's graduating! And we're all going to be here! I can't wait to see everyone" Jenny said, excited at the thought of seeing everyone again. They were so much a part of who she was that it was like coming home. "Come on!" Tom said laughingly! "None of that today!" but as he took her hand and squeezed it Jenny knew he understood –and felt exactly the same.

"Audrey, Summer! Over here!" Jenny said, waving her hand as she spotted the two in the grand amphitheatre of UCLA. "Jenny! Mon Dieu! You haven't changed a bit!" Audrey cried drawing Jenny into an embrace. "And you Audrey Myers are as chic as ever!" Jenny teased. Audrey was wearing a Black trouser suit by Chanel, pearls hanging prettily from her ears. She looked as composed as ever, excitement only revealed through the sparkling glint in her eyes. "Summer I've missed you!" Jenny couldn't bare to be away from Summer for too long. A part of her still felt that if she let her get too far away she would lose her again. And that was something that Jenny knew she would never be able to handle again. The guilt the first time had been – unbearable. "Jenny! I saw you two days ago!" Summer replied giving her a quick hug and flashing her dimples. "I know but..." "I Know" Summer replied, before Jenny could finish, squeezing her arm in reassurance. Summer was Jenny's roommate in college, studying to be a primary school teacher, and had travelled home before Jenny to spend some time with her parents. It was nice to have some one from home with her. Especially after her and Tom had decided to go to separate universities. Tom had received an application from Duke on a football scholarship, but they didn't have Jenny's course so she had gone to UCLA instead. It wasn't what she had dreamt of when she was younger but it was more ideal. She and Tom didn't have to be together every second now. She knew she could survive without him, and he without her.

Tom was hugging Audrey and Summer in turn. "How have you been Audrey and you Summer?" "Where are Michael and Zach" Jenny butted in before either could reply. "They should be here any second" Tom replied, seating himself on the plush chairs of the amphitheatre. "Michael just rang there to say they're here", from the corner of her eye Jenny saw Audrey lower her head and bite her lower lip, Jenny frowned. She would really have to find out what was going on. "So what's the plan for after Jenny?" Audrey asked, " Are we all getting together?" "I think Dee is going to be spending time with her family. I've organised for us to all get together tomorrow". "Aba must be really happy today", Summer smiled. "She is!" Jenny said. "She's so proud!". Jenny idolised Aba. She was Dee's grandmother but had been a mentor to all of them, guiding them through tough choices. Guiding Jenny in her decision to pursue her own life course, and not follow Tom to Duke.

"Hey hey it's the gang!" Michael Cohen's' sarcastic voice rang out, as he and Zach meandered their way through the seating over to their group. "Michael! Zach! I'm so glad to see you guys!" Jenny jumped up and hugged each in turn. "And how are _you_ Zachary?" she asked her cousin as the others exchanged hellos with Michael. "How's the photography course? And Aunt Lily?" "Moms fine" Zach replied, as non-committal as ever, "and the course is great, there's some talented guys there", "I bet none are as good as you!" Jenny said, hugging Zach again. She always worried about him, she was essentially his only link to his family – he rarely even saw Aunt Lily anymore.

"Ssshh Ssh Quiet! The ceremony is beginning!" Audrey hissed waving her hands for quiet, as the band started the procession music. One by one the awardees entered the theatre, wearing deep ruby red robes, matching the décor of the theatre, and took their seats. "Look there's Dee!!" Jenny whispered giddily to Tom, as Dee walked tall and proud to her seat. "Oh my God Tom she looks so beautiful!" Jenny said softly as Tom squeezed her hand in reply and clasped them within his own.

The Dean began his speech. It was long winded with parts in Latin that had Audrey snorting in disbelief, "The pronunciation is COMPLETELY wrong!" she snorted to Jenny, who smiled indulgently at Audrey. "What a pity we're not all language gurus like you Aud, then maybe we'd care", Michael whispered mockingly down, rolling his eyes as Audrey shot him a look of deepest loathing. Shaking her head softly, Jenny sighed…this was worse than before. She would have said something to the two of them, if only she wasn't so tired. The lights had been dimmed, for the ceremony, casting deep shadows in the corners of the theatre and dulling the gold and cream painted interior. The air felt oppressive and politely stifling a yawn she shut her eyes – for just a second- just while the Deans speech was on. It had been such a long day. Driving down from UCLA to Vista Grande, then hurriedly unpacking and getting ready before Tom picked her up.

With the Dean still talking Jenny relaxed for a second and found herself alone in the dark. It was frighteningly cold. She couldn't see anything except for a muffled beam of orange-y light surrounded by thick swirling mist. Jenny stared at the mist trying to decipher what was going on. It was almost like the mist was alive, undulating and curving like a giant serpent. For a second it looked like…No, there were actually arms coming out of it and a quick flash of blue. Jenny gasped and stumbled back, jerking awake in the theatre. Her hand was still grasped in Tom's and she sat upright, heart thumping violently, and tried to gather her composure. "You ok Thorny?" Tom whispered, shooting her a concerned look, "No.. I mean yes! I'm fine just fell asleep for a second. Did I miss anything?" "No The Dean just finished his speech" Tom replied, "They're going to do the coronation now" "Good" Jenny said relieved, settling back in her chair shaking of the sense of dread that had filled her in the dream, and watched as the graduates were awarded their degrees.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

"Morning mom" Jenny yawned as she strolled into the kitchen for breakfast. "morning Jenny" she replied, giving Jenny a brief hug as she poured herself a coffee. "sleep well?" Mrs Thornton asked, settling onto the kitchen table and sending Jenny a warm smile, "its good to have you home, dear, it's so different without you here". "I know, it's good to be home" Jenny replied sitting down beside her mom. "how was Dee's ceremony?" "it was great mom! Dee looked beautiful and she worked so hard to get to where she is. Its funny Dee graduating first of all of us! Especially seeing s she never planned on going in the first place!" Jenny said. For a moment she remembered the strange dream but it was gone in a second. "Well she changed" her mother replied softly, stroking Jenny's hair back from her forehead. "You all have changed, grown older, we couldn't be more proud of you, especially after…" Jenny knew what her mom was thinking, especially after what had happened all those years ago. Jenny had never been able to explain how they had found Summer, or why they had gone to Pittsburgh, to Grandpa Evans' house. They couldn't see the connection. Explanations of the shadow men hadn't satisfied any of the parents the first time around and Jenny knew they couldn't use that story again. Even if it was the truth. "Remember the story of the hunter and the talking skull" Aba had said when Summer had first disappeared. And Jenny remembered.

The group had, instead, claimed they didn't know what the connection was and that they had received information about Summer in Pittsburgh. Zach's disappearance had been linked in with it. It hadn't satisfied their parents and it hadn't satisfied the cops, but what more could be said? And in the end all that mattered was that they were home – and safe. In jennies case a lot safer. Julian was gone and with him any claim the shadow men had over her. Her one regret was that she had never been able to clear Grandpa Evans' name. Could never tell her mom that he wasn't the monster everyone thought he was, that he hadn't hurt Jenny – he had saved her instead.

The uproar had blown over eventually and life had continued on. Speculation still followed their group during high school but most of it was forgotten now. They had graduated along with everyone else and life had continued as normal. Well as normal as it could, Jenny still thought about Julian, but it was a warm, hazy memory now.

"So you're all home for the summer?" Jenny's mom asked? "Yup, one last time…before Dee goes to New York and Audrey goes to Europe" Jenny smiled sadly, "We're going to have to make it perfect! Which incidentally reminds me, is it ok if the gang come over tonight – just an average pool party", "Sure of course, your dad and myself are meeting up with the Stetsons for dinner and Joey will probably be out with his friends till late, so the house should be empty enough", Mrs Thornton paused on her way to the sink and gave Jenny a searching look, "Just you know…", "Don't worry mom!" Jenny laughed, "Its just a pool party!"

The doorbell rang and jenny ran to open the door, "Hey guys" she greeted everyone enthusiastically, hugging Summer, Audrey and Zach at the same time, leaving herself free for a long hug with Tom. "Where's Dee and Michael?", "On their way, just picking up a few things for the Bar-B-Q". "Great" Jenny replied, "Come on the BBq lighted out back, you girls can hop into the pool if u want". "Oh this is great" Audrey said appreciatively as she made her way out to the shimmering turquoise pool and breathed in the smell. Jenny knew what she was feeling, it was a summer smell – a mix of chlorine and flowers and BBQ smoke. The temperature for mid-August was perfect for the pool party and a rush of happiness bubbled up inside Jenny. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so at peace and relaxed. "Oh hey did Michael tell you about his cousin?" Tom asked, nuzzling her neck as they tended to the BBq, "His cousin?" Jenny replied, "no he didn't", "Oh I think he's bringing him tonight too", "Oh really?" Jenny asked, twisting out of Tom's arms to look at him, surprised, "Michael didn't say anything when I was talking to him yesterday" "I think his dad rang him this morning, his cousin is going to be moving to L.A. for the year, some college placement in UCLA, and just needs a place to crash while he gets set up." "Oh okay" Jenny said. Michael's dad was a well known science fiction author and was touring the country in search of inspiration for his stories. It didn't bother Michael now but when he was younger it had upset him a little, his mother had died when he was young and to have his father touring all the time … but he had never before mentioned any other family, it was a little strange to have a cousin turn up just like that, Jenny thought, but it was good to finally meet some of Michaels family. And it would be good for Michael to have them around too. Still it was slightly _odd_ that he'd never mentioned them before.

The doorbell rang again and Zach went to answer it, returning a few minutes later with Dee and Michael. "Hi" Jenny said giving Dee a hard hug. "how does it feel to be a graduate!" she teased giving Dee a playful poke in the stomach. "Great" Dee replied flashing her wild smile. She was just as beautiful as ever, her hair cropped close to her head and her wide eyes glinting dangerously. Dee Eliade's wild side hadn't changed a bit. She still lived for danger and relished a fight. "Hey Michael" Jenny said turning to greet him, as Dee greeted the rest, "where's your cousin?, Tom just told me about him", "he's just bringing in the rest of the food" Michael said. "I didn't know you had a cousin Michael" Jenny said, " Yeah it was news to me too" miacheal said looking at her with his brown cocker spaniel eyes, " I knew I had an aunt that lives in Florida, never knew she had a son my age, but dad said he needed a place to crash so- oh there he is, Hey" Michael yelled, "out here in back", as his cousin walked out carrying a large shopper of food. "Everyone this is Jack", "hi Jack" Jenny said smiling shaking his hand, he was tall and elegant looking, with brown hair cropped neatly at the sides. He was completely different to Michael, except for, jenny noticed, his eyes. He had the same soft brown eyes as Michael. "Hi" jack replied smiling widely, "Thanks for having me, Mike's told me a lot about you guys, hope I'm not crashing" he said lugging Michael in the arm "No not at all" Jenny replied, "make yourself at home … the rest have!" she said gesturing at the rest kicking back in the pool. Dee and Tom were having a race down the length of the pool while the rest cheered on. "Come on" Jenny said to Michael and Jack, "Last one in is cooking!"

The party was over. It had been a success. Michael had done the cooking, complaining the whole time as usual, then they'd all just sat and talked and it was almost like nothing had changed. Then her parents came back and slowly the group had dispersed. Audrey had stayed back to help Jenny clear up as she had her own car, the rest had hitched rides with Tom and Michael. "That was so good" Jenny mused as she handed Audrey the washed plates to dry, "And Jack fit right in! it wasn't even slightly awkward", "no it wasn't" Audrey agreed, her auburn hair gleaming copper under the track lighting, "it was great! Just like old times! - well almost". "what's going on between you and Michael" Jenny asked, her green eyes dark with concern, catching the meaning behind Audrey's words, "You two have been acting so strange around each other, and I know it cant have been the break up, I mean that was years ago, and it was mutual! I know it was I was there!" "No it wasn't the break up, I mean I don't know Jenny its just," Audrey hesitated shaking her head, "what" Jenny said softly, the washing forgotten as she turned to Audrey, "Its okay you can tell me" "its just, well Michael came to visit me up in Harvard last year, when my parents were up too, and you know how my mom is right?", Jenny knew. Mrs Myers was the epitome of upper class society ladies. She had never really approved of Michael and wasn't one to hide her opinions. "Anyway, Michael had wanted to get back together but while he was there mother went out of her way to ostracise him and you know Michael" Audrey sighed, "he got upset and we had a major fight…and that was that… we've been arguing ever since" "Oh Audrey" Jenny said shaking her head, "its such a small matter I'm sure if you just talked to him" "But that's just it jenny", Audrey interrupted, turning to look out the window, "He wont talk to me and if he does its just sarcasm and I don't see why I should keep making the effort if he doesn't want to listen" "Well don't you worry! Ill have the two of you talking again in no time" Jenny reassured her smiling, "J'espere" Audrey sighed softly, then, straightening up, "D'accord" she said, all business again, "Lets finish up quick or I'm going to fall asleep right here!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

It had been the perfect end to a perfect week Jenny thought as she got ready for bed. She and tom had gone for a quiet meal and then a long walk down the nearby Vista Grande beach. They had talked about everything. University, their futures, Michael and Audrey! Tom had told her about how he wanted to practice law. His mentor in duke had been a former lawyer and had inspired tom with his recounts of past glories. Then Tom had dropped her home. It had been – Wonderful, a perfect few hours with Tom. She glanced fondly around her room and revelled in its familiarity. The rose and poppy eiderdown, the silk flowers twined around baskets on her sill and of course the pictures of Tom and her around the mirror. There was something about the way she was feeling right now that she couldn't quite understand – it was a peacefulness- a feeling of utter contentment she hadn't ever felt before. It wasn't that her life was simple. Far from – She and tom still had to figure out their future. She knew they were going to be together she just didn't know when. Both their paths were down different roads and it was going to be a long while before they joined together. And of course there was the whole matter of sorting out Audrey and Miachel. But all that seemed far away right now. Something shed have to deal with later. Right now she was fulfilled. Sitting cross legged on her bed she ran a hand idly along the silkyness of her bedspread. She had to plan something big before the end of summer. It would essentially be the last time they would all be together. She didn't know who she would miss most. Dee? With her wild leaping beauty and skewed sense of humour? Audrey the ever chic and practical? Michael? With his rumpled hair and puppy dog eyes? Or perhaps Zach, with his slate grey eyes and his limitless talent? She would never miss tom or summer for too long, she was never going to let them go far enough for that to happen. Idly her thoughts sprang to jack. The last few times the gang had been together jack had been there. Michael didn't like leaving him alone he said, but jenny didn't mind. He fitted in perfectly with the group. He was like a more refined and balanced version of Michael. More suited for Audrey then Michael ever had been jenny mused smiling. He was cute too. No cute wasn't the word, he was handsome. His eyes were deep and intense, and sometimes when he was animated they seemed to get brighter. And his smile –well. There was something about his smile, the shape of it, that reminded her of something but she couldn't quite place it. He kept peace between Audrey and Michael at any rate. Absent-mindedly she played with her ring, watching the light glint of the gold as she moved it back and forth in her hands. He'd asked her about the ring, jack had. Had wondered whether she and tom were engaged till she'd said it had been a gift from an old friend. She glanced at the engraving on the inside of the band. "I am my only Master" Dee's favourite maxim, and Julian's gift to her. Slipping the band back on her finger, jenny twisted and turned of the table-lamp before sinking down into the pillows. As she closed her eyes she smiled whimsically. Her and Tom engaged. She could picture it all. The wedding, the cake and lots of flowers everywhere. What sort of ring would he get her? She knew it would be something entirely different to Julian's gold band. Still she was getting carried away, she'd plan it when it was time.

Jack's eyes had flashed when he had asked about the ring. – A sort of bright colour, she thought inconsequentially as she drifted off to sleep.

The following morning over breakfast at Audrey's house, Jenny had announced her plan to organise a big party before summer ended. "As", she explained seriously to Audrey, "Who knows the next time we're all going to be together again after this?" "At your wedding" Dee had chuckled into her Granola. It was Audrey who suggested the beach party. "I mean its perfect weather" she said, "And Daddy just bought that new condo just a few minutes from Laguna. Im sure he would let us use it for a weekend." "That's perfect Audrey!" Jenny exclaimed. "We could have a mini-dinner party too. Should we make it formal?" "Hey I don't do dress up" Dee said, brows raised in amusement. "Oh come on Dee, you don't have to dress up! Just wear something less...sporty" she said looking pointedly at dee's combat trousers and white t-shirt.

Everyone was enthusiastic about the idea and that evening everything had been arranged. Audrey and Jenny were going to organise the food, Zach had taken dibs on the music and Dee and Summer were managing the drinks and the bedding. Lifts had been arranged with Tom and Michael. Smiling wildily Tom grabbed Jenny in a huge bear hug and planted kisses on her cheek. " Trust you to come up with the best, most magnificent idea ever!" he whispered into her neck "Actually", Jenny replied "It was Audreys idea.. but you can appreciate me all the same and tell me how great I am… and how wonderful!", "I live to oblige" Tom grinned back as he swung her around and waltzed her around Audrey's living room as the others cat-called or groaned loudly at the display.

That had been three weeks back. Since then Jenny had been on the go non-stop. Her mother had been re-decorating and wanted Jenny's help. Joey had turned 16 and as a surprise Jenny had arranged a fantasy themed party at her home. Joey was into all the martial arts fantasy at the moment and it had taken Jenny days to find the right decorations and an outfit for Joey. It had been worth it though for the delight on Joeys face. "Well" Dee had said to her, sloe eyes grinning mischievously, "if child counselling doesn't work you could always try your hand at party planning… Lord knows all the rest you've organised have been out of this world!" "ha very funny" Jenny had replied, making a face and giving Dee a mock thump on the arm before laughing along with her. It was strange to think they could joke about it now. For a moment she had a flashback of the dream she'd had at Dee's graduation, the thick, dark mist -and there had been something on the ground, something long and thin, but Joey had come to thank her just then and she forgot all about it.

It was now mid-September and there was a few days left to the party. Jenny finally had a night free to spend with Tom. He was picking her up in an hour and jenny couldn't find anything to wear. She wanted something –special. Shed worn everything nice at least once with Tom but wanted tonight to be different. It hadn't been just them for over 2 weeks now – she had to make an effort. And tom had some big news to tell her. Sighing she sat on her bed, legs dangling from the edge, with her wardrobe emptied in front of her. She couldn't find anything! She could ring Audrey she supposed. Audrey would have something in her vast collection she could borrow. But where was her phone? Sorting through the clothes on the floor, jenny finally extracted her phone from the pile. It was caught on a pale ivory shift she barely recognised. Holding the dress up she frowned. This wasn't hers. She couldn't even remember seeing it before. But wait, she had. It was Audrey's, shed borrowed it off her a few years back but had never actually worn it – or she thought wryly, returned it to its original owner. Oh well, Jenny thought delightedly, waste not want not. It was beautiful, perfect for tonight. Stopping just below her knee it had a soft golden sheen in the light and the amber beads embroidered around the neckline complimented jenny's hair perfectly. She'd return it to Audrey tomorrow.

Tom was right on time and looked exceptionally good. His hair had been swept back by the wind and his white shirt set of his brown eyes. "Hey" Jenny said shyly, nervous anticipation building inside her "good to see you after so long!" taking his arm they walked down to his car and settling in they drove off to the restaurant.

"So" jenny murmured later as she twined her hands with his over the table. "Whats this news you have to tell me?" The candlelight flickered over the table sending golden beams dancing around the room and creating red and gold highlights on toms hair. The waiter had cleaned the dessert plates and jenny was feeling quite relaxed as they sat over coffees. She felt she had an idea about what it was but didn't want to spoil anything. "Well" Tom began, pushing his coffee cup away, "No wait Tom!" Jenny said excitedly before he could continue, "I just want to say, before you say anything you know I love you?" she said gazing into his eyes, she had to get this out now because she didn't know if she would be able to speak after, " You and me we've been through so much and I cant even begin to imagine life without you! I hate it when were apart and.." she stopped, her sentence trailing off in the middle as she caught the look in his eyes. "What?" Jenny said confused as he drew his hands back from her. "What's wrong?" she said again as Tom looked away and ran his hands over his head. "Tom! What?, did I say something wrong?" " No jenny" he said his face grim, eyes still averted, " you just –look is it really that bad if we're apart for like more than a day? We don't have to be joined at the hip, spend every second together" "No of course we don't" Jenny said slowly her heart beating hard against her chest. She almost couldn't believe what she was hearing, it definitely was not what she had been expecting. "Look I was just saying I missed you that's all and.." "I know what you were saying Jenny" Tom said taking a deep breath, "and I missed you too but its not like we havn't seen each other for years I saw you last week" "Okay" Jenny said more than taken aback by his behaviour. "Okay, I'm sorry. Look it doesn't matter" she said matter of factly, trying to cover up her hurt, "what were you going to tell me?" "Oh nothing, really doesn't matter, lets just go now" Tom said abruptly, signalling the waiter.

Jenny sat quietly the whole way home. She felt numb and very confused. She JUST did not know what that had been about. It came up from nowhere and tom didn't seem to want to explain at all. He didn't even kiss her goodnight, just sat there engine running as Jenny got out. "Night" she said as normally as possible. "Night" Tom said, automatically before driving off. Without even looking at her, leaving her standing on the driveway. Tears welled up in her eyes as she made her way into her house. Jenny ran into her room before her parents could see her, she didn't want to face their questions right now. Taking off the ivory dress she held it up and watched the light shimmer of the ivory. Pity, she thought folding the dress away, it had been wasted on tonight, she should have just given it back to Audrey without wearing it. Bad karma she supposed. Sinking onto her bed she buried her head into the soft pillow and cried. So much for Tom proposing – he'd almost just broken it off with her instead.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

She was surrounded by darkness. Tendrils of mist and fog swirled around her in the eerie quiet. Again she saw the faint amber glow but just as she was walking towards it thick mist started gathering around it, getting thicker and thicker until it was almost solid. But the light, it was emanating from a thin stick lying in the midst of the mist and shadow that was forming. It was almost like a wooden stake – Jenny recognised it. It was the stave of life. The same one the shadow men had used to cut Julian out of existence. But why was it here? Suddenly the arms formed again and startled, Jenny stumbled backwards and found herself lying on her bed tangled in the sheets.

"I don't believe it!" Audrey said her amber eyes wide and disbelieving. " Why would Tom do that? I mean that's not Tom!, there's no way! and I mean you were… so looking forward to it" Audrey trailed off. "I know" Jenny sighed resting her head on her hands. She'd told Audrey and Dee what she thought Tom wanted to talk to her about and she felt –extremely foolish right now. And angry. Tom had no reason to say those things to her. Jenny had never been clingy, had never followed him anywhere, had never stopped Tom from doing his own things and had never been…needy, ever. She wasn't that girl, and Tom knew it, she thought anger mounting. "Well you know what" Jenny said sitting upright, anger flashing in her green eyes, "I'm not making the first move, I WILL not apologise and Tom better have some good explanation for it too, I have NEVER been the girl to be clingy, never", "Atta girl soldier!" Dee said hollering, slapping the Thornton kitchen table with her slender hands. "Make him cry squeeze the agony outta him!" Audrey raised her eyebrows amused. "Good advice Dee! Any other pearls of wisdom?!" "Yeah Aud, you may want to fix your mascara its smudged down your eyes!" Dee said chortling. "It is not!" Audrey gasped, automatically reaching for her compact mirror to check. "La, tout ce bien" Audrey muttered, narrowing her eyes at Dee making Jenny chuckle, despite herself. Dee had always known how to wind Audrey up. The two had buried their feud a long time ago but neither was averse to getting a dig up on the other. "D'accord" Audrey said rising from her chair, "I have to run, mothers making me help her host a charity luncheon down at the yacht club, and seeing" she said passing a regal glance Dee's way, who benevolently returned the courtesy, "That my maquillage is still perfect, I have to go!" "Seriously though Jenny", Audrey said as she gave her a hug on the way out, "Are you okay? Do you want me to talk to Tom? I can find out whats going on?" "No, no Audrey don't talk to Tom, this is something he needs to talk to me about on his own, no interferences, but thanks, now go! Your society needs you!" "Right" said Audrey "You know I don't know what is up with the men in this town, first Michael now Tom… who next?"

"You ok though? Really?" Dee asked Jenny after Audrey had left. "Yeah, im tired of thinking about it now." And she was. It was different this time. The last time her and Tom had almost broken up, it had been because of Julian, and, jenny thought, partly because of her. But this time it was all Tom, not her. " Actually Dee, there is something else" Jenny said, hesitating, remembering the dream. "Shoot" "Well I had this dream last night, but it wasn't the first time I had it, I had it – once before too" Jenny said, neglecting to tell Dee that it had been during her ceremony " I dreamt about the stave of life, there was mist or something coming out of it" ,"The stave of life" Dee said forehead creased in concentration, "That's the shadow mens lifestick or something right?" "Yeah" Jenny said, "But why would I dream about it, I mean the shadow men have no claim over me now right? All that is over. In the past" she said ."I don't know Jenny" Dee said her eyes searching hers, "maybe you've just been thinking about Julian a lot recently, you know being back here and stuff, all of us together, its probably just triggering memories" "You're right" Jenny agreed, feeling marginally better than she had all day. Of course she was. There was no other explanation for it anyway.

It was finally Friday. Everything was organised and everyone was looking forward to the weekend. Well not everyone, jenny thought wryly, she wasn't going to enjoy it as much and she didn't know about Tom. He hadn't called her since their last meeting and jenny was determined not to be the first to break the ice. The rest had been cautious around jenny, but she had been resolutely cheerful, focusing her attention on planning the weekend.

She missed him terribly though. No matter how hard she tried, he was all she could think about. Jenny knew it had something to do with what he had been about to tell her – if only she hadn't spoken at that moment, but still, she hadn't said anything out of the usual, tom knew she felt that way, he had felt the same as well. At least, jenny had thought he had.

With forced cheerfulness, jenny got ready for the weekend. The food had been packed and loaded in Michaels car and her essentials had been packed in her black totebag. All she needed now was an outfit to wear to the dinner. She settled for a simple yellow silk shift and green leather heels with a deep green jewel on the top. Running a comb through her hair she glanced at her reflection in the mirror. "I look sad" she thought despondently. Her green eyes looked heavy with some burden. Sighing heavily she grabbed her bag and beach towel and stalked out of her room to wait for Michael. "Im not going to ruin this weekend" she thought, mouth set resolutely, "It's going to be great". But she couldn't shake the empty feeling inside, as she greeted Michael and jack and settled into the comfortable car seat. Without tom it just didn't mean anything.

They all met up at Audreys house just before heading out. Everyone apart from Tom had arrived and his absence hung in the air like an ominous rain cloud. "Is Tom coming?" Jenny asked after they had waited for a half hour. "Im not too sure Jenny", Michael replied hesitantly. "He was undecided last night." "Well we cant keep waiting" Jenny said harshly. " We may aswell go without him." She could see the others glance at each other and she couldn't blame them. If truth be told she had surprised herself too. She didn't think she would have been able to make a decision like that. Especially about Tom, but she had. "Right" Audrey said, "I can take my car instead." "Ok, then we're good to go" Dee said, concluding the matter and they piled into the two cars, Jenny staring despondently out of the side window of Audreys Blue Mini Cooper, as they drove towards Laguna.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Red and orange streaks lined the sky and the sea glinted gold in the evening light when they arrived at Audrey's condo. There were four rooms in the condo. Originally Tom and Jenny were sharing the master bedroom, but in his absence it was decided that Audrey and Jenny would share, with Dee and Summer in the yellow room, Michael and jack in the Blue room and Zach in the white room. The condo had been decorated by Mrs. Myers in a style highly reminiscent of a French chalet. Set in grounds enclosed by large palm trees, the polished wooden exterior was surrounded by a large porch and white shuttered windows offering a breathtaking view of the beach. Inside the ceilings swooped upwards and the doors were set in large rounded arches. The living room was open plan, leading into the dining room and kitchen. The deep red of the couches complimented the dark mahogany of the wood, creating a look that was both classic and cosy. The master bedroom was sumptuously decorated in cream and gold. It had large bay windows looking out towards the ocean and had its own private side entrance. "Its beautiful Audrey" Jenny said looking around the room as they unpacked their over night bags. "Well mother needed _something_ to do in her spare time" Audrey said flippantly, "Now allons! We have a dinner to prepare."

The sun had fully set before dinner was ready. Jenny, Audrey, Summer and Jack, were preparing the food. Dee had stayed with Michael and Zach, snorting at the convention of women in the kitchen.

Audrey had come up with a simple menu that was easy to cook. Fettucini Alfredo and home-made garlic bread, followed by dark chocolate mousse pots. Jack, to Jennys surprise, was surprisingly adept at cooking, expertly combining butter and garlic to rub on the French bread whilst talking to Audrey. So he's not just here to flirt with Audrey, jenny thought, hiding a smile looking at them from the corner of her eye. Audrey was showing him how to whisk chocolate with cream for the dessert, smiling up at him through her spiky lashes. They seemed so comfortable with each other and Jenny felt a stab of longing-and something else, _almost_ a pang of jealousy. Her and jack had talked a few times before. They'd had deep conversations about life and the world. Jack had travelled to exotic places, jenny had never dreamt of going, and he had a knowledge of the world that was awe-inspiring. She had to admit she was a little bit fascinated by him. But there was nothing but trouble to be found in thinking like that. Besides it was only because she was hurting over Tom. It still hurt to think that he hadn't come. She had really, really hoped he showed tonight, maybe then they would _at least_ have been able to talk. "Fine" she thought miserably, resigned to the fact that tom wasn't going to try and fix things. It was a very –final thought. Tom wasn't going to try. He _didn't _want to try anymore. He was just going to leave it – leave her. She felt the tears well up at the corner of her eyes and furiously tried to blink them back. Not now, not here. Shed cry later. A part of her was surprised that tom hadn't shown up _at all_. Even if he didn't want to see her, he should have come to see the rest. They were, after all, his friends too.

It was 8 o' clock by the time jenny went to get dressed for dinner. Stepping in for a quick shower, in the bathroom adjoining the master room, she felt the hot water ease her muscles. Her entire body ached from the effort of holding herself together all day. Now that she was by herself she let her defences slip, just for a little, then, pulling herself together, she stepped out drying herself vigorously with her towel. After putting her dress on, she reached for the green jewelled shoes and slipped them on, fastening the green buckle at the side. She quickly dried her hair and applied her makeup. Audrey was probably going to start yelling at her any minute if she didn't hurry up. Finally, spraying on some perfume, she was ready.

Audrey was waiting in the bedroom when Jenny came out. "Finally!" she said jokingly, looking up from the magazine she was reading. " now I wont be more than 5 minutes" she said collecting her towel and heading for the bathroom. "By the way", she said turning to look at Jenny, "that dress is marvellous!"

Taking a last glance in the mirror jenny went to join the rest in the living room. Candles were flickering merrily on the tables and soft music was playing in the background. They were standing around sipping wine from crystal goblets. The boys were dressed in shirts and even Dee had made an effort, wearing black trousers with a cream silk shirt. She almost felt like she had stumbled on to a set created by an artist for a painting. The subject matter placed _just so, _creating a warm cosy atmosphere. It was like looking at a snapshot of a perfect moment in time, a moment Jenny knew would stay with her for a long time.

Seeing her in the doorway, jack filled an empty goblet and walked over. Taking the proffered glass, jenny took a sip and smiled. "Thank you" she said, looking up. She had to admit, jack looked amazing. Dressed up the difference between him and Michael could not have been more stark. In a simple white shirt and grey trousers, jack looked stunning, whereas no matter how hard Michael tried, he still looked slightly rumpled and mussed. And there was something else, something familiar about jack that drew her to him, but she just couldn't quite place her finger on it. He stood with her a while enchanting her with stories of far off places until Audrey emerged, looking regal in her black cocktail dress, leading the group to dinner and taking jacks attention with her.

Dinner passed in a hazy dream like manner. Audrey's expertise had turned the simple meal into an explosive, mouth-watering affair; The rustic garlic bread complimented the rich creamy sauce of the fettuccini, creating an explosion of pure, simple flavours. The candles emitted a warm flickering glow over the setting, turning Audreys hair flame red and casting a golden sheen over Dee's mahogoney skin. Everything seemed touched with gold. The conversation flowed freely around the table, ebbing and flowing with the rhythm of the music in the background, almost as though it were lyrics composed specifically for the beat. For jenny the experience was bitter-sweet. The evening was the kind she had dreamed of having and it was made all the more poignant by the sadness she felt at the absence of Tom.

Jenny was sitting beside Zach and Dee and it wasn't until the dessert was served that Zach asked Jenny about Tom. "How are you? Really?" he asked her seriously. His grey eyes looked almost purple in the dim lighting. He looked solemn and very severe "I'm fine zach – no really I am" she said as he shot a sceptical look her way. "Its fine, I mean – I don't…" she trailed off. She didn't really know what to say. It wasn't okay, and she most definitely was not fine, but what was there to say? "I'm okay, really Zachary" she said earnestly, putting an arm around him and squeezing his shoulder lightly. "Lets just enjoy tonight anyway" she said shooting him a warm smile and accepted a nod as an agreement.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Later they went out to the beach. The air was crisp and clean, with a slight breeze, creating a subtle chillyness which was unusual in southern California. They had found blankets in the coat closet and, spreading them out on the sand they sat down, laughing and joking amongst themselves. Shivering in her silk dress, jenny took a spare blanket and wrapped it around herself, drinking in the beauty of the scene in front of her. The moon shone brightly down, tinting the waves with a phosphorent blue glow, as they crashed on the shore. "hey what date is it again" Audrey said as she glanced up at the moon. "Septmber 20th" Jack said, as he helped Michael set up a small fire. "I knew it""Audrey said smiling, "It's the night of the hunters moon", "Hunters moon?" Jenny said, turning to look at Audrey. "It's the full moon that rises just after the Autumn Equinox." Audrey said, still looking up at the sky. " Its named after the hunters that used to track and capture their prey in the bright autumn moonlight after all the crops had been reaped. Its also sometimes known as the sanguine moon, or blood in English, although im not really too sure why." "Why is it so special?" Summer asked "Its supposed to be bigger than ordinary moons because of the position of the earth" Audrey explained as jenny looked up at the moon again. The glow of the moon was almost hypnotic and inexplicably, jenny had a flashback of the moon she had seen with Julian, in the erlkings castle in the paperhouse. It had emitted the same luminescent glow as the one tonight and had been every bit as beautiful. Jenny felt a rush of anticipation. The night seemed full of promise, almost as if it was preparing for something-_anything_ to happen. "It's strange though isn't it" Audrey murmered from beside her. "_Everything_ seems to happen on a full moon. All those supernatural creatures, werewolves and do you know" she continued in a rush, "theres actually been a study that shows that the number of psychcriatic admissions increases around a full moon?" "ha" snorted Dee, " "the owl and the pussycat" Michael yelled out snickering,"didn't they get married during a full moon? Were they mad too?" All the looneys are out Aud! You better run, woooweee", dee continued, laughing along with Michael. "yes" Audrey said disdainfully, throwing a superior look at dee, as Michael belted out the words to the owl and the pussycat, "and most of them are right beside me." Amused, but not wanting to annoy Audrey, jenny turned to look at the fire. Jack was standing on the other side of it, throwing in small pieces of paper as fuel. The fire cast an orange glow around him which mingled with the blue light of the moon, wrapping him in an ethereal halo of light. He was laughing at Dee and Michael, mouth open wide in a smile. Still smiling, he turned and for a moment their eyes locked over the flames. The fire reflected in his eyes and, just for a second, jenny _knew_ what it was that bothered her about him, but just then Dee smacked the ground with her fist startling jenny, and she forgot all about it.

The bonfire was burning steadily, casting a warm glow around, as the group sat and talked. Dee was regaling jack with Kung fu stories and the others chatted softly amongst themselves. Moths were fluttering gently around the flames and in the distance jenny could see fireflies glowing intermittently in the foliage along the banks of the beach. It would have been a glorious night; if only Tom was there.

"Look Jenny", Michael said later, as they sat in a semi circle around the crackling flames. Dee and Summer were chatting with Zach, and Audrey and Jack were sitting near Michael and herself, engrossed in conversation."Tom told me a few days back, he got an offer from the Ole Miss law school in Mississipi. It's a 4 year programme, which means that he'd be moving there, I mean I dunno if hes going to accept or not but… ?" "But toms in Duke" Jenny said stupidly to Michael, stunned by what he'd said, "He's got another 2 years, how can he go there?" "He's going to transfer his credits – he said one of his professors helped him or something so…" "He's _going_ to transfer his credits" Jenny repeated slowly, staring at the fire before turning to look at Michael straight in the eye. "Then he's already decided he's going hasn't he?" " uh I –don't know" "Come on Mike" Jenny said angrily, " Just tell me honestly, he said he's going isn't he? And he's going to break up with me before he goes!". Jenny couldn't believe what she was saying but it made a crazy sort of sense. Tom had been talking about law and his mentor, professor Rees, had been a past pupil of Old Miss. Of course he'd help him. And it fit in with what tom had been about to tell her at dinner. He was going to say he had accepted the course – but then Jenny had interrupted him, saying- Oh God, saying how she couldn't live without him and hated being apart. She groaned internally, why hadn't she just let tom have his say? She could have saved herself a lot of confusion. "No look Jenny" Michael was saying hurriedly, "Tom's not going to break up with you that's not what he said look I'm just-" "Wait a minute" Audrey said cutting in abruptly, eyebrows raised incredulously, "Who's breaking up with who?!, whats going on?" "No ones breaking up with anyone" Michael said loudly "Nothings going on!" "And how would you know?" Audrey said scathingly "besides, I was asking _Jenny_, Not you". "What's going on?" Summer asked nervously from beside Zach. "Nothing guys! Michaels right! Nothings going on! Audrey just misheard!" jenny said reassuringly. "Seriously everythings fine!" "Yeah right!" Audrey said unconvinced. "Look Audr-" Jenny stopped. Tom had just walked down. "Hey guys" Tom said, stooping down beside the fire , slapping jack on the back in greeting. "sorry im late, just had a few things to clear up" There was a brief pause of awkward silence before everyone called out their welcomes. Sitting down beside Michael, tom grabbed a drink and began talking of his journey down.

A cold fury was building up inside jenny and she breathed in deeply to avoid saying something she'd regret. _How dare _he just show up and act all nonchalant- like nothing was wrong? He was laughing –_laughing. _ Completely ignoring her, joking with Dee, slapping Michael on the back, it was – too much. She had to leave ,go for a walk. Clear her head –or _something_, anything really to get away.

She got up quickly and began to walk away. "Hey, where are you going?" Dee shouted to her. "Oh I just want to get a sweater" Jenny lied, "Ill just be a second." She was walking quickly, almost running towards the house. The tears that had been threatening all night finally erupted and she sunk to her knees in the soft sand near the edge of the driveway. Hearing a noise behind her , she quickly wiped them away. "Look Dee I'm fine" she said turning, quickly realising it was Tom. "Jenny we need to talk" "You want to talk?" Jenny said slowly, her anger flaring again. "Funny you didn't seem to want to do that before!" standing up quickly, she turned and started walking towards the porch. "Jenny-just stop for a moment", "No you stop Tom! When were you going to tell me about Ole Miss huh? When you got there? After you'd decided everything? And you talked to Michael! _Before _me!?" tears were openly streaming down her cheeks now. She couldn't help it. All the hurt shed felt since Monday night bubbled over. "I _tried _to tell you!" "Yes you did!" Jenny agreed, "Then stupidly I told you how much I cared and you backed out! Couldn't face telling me could you? Is that all I mean to you? After all these years? I had to hear from _Michael_?!" her fury pent, jenny dried her eyes. looking straight at Tom, she asked him what she had been dreading. "Do you want to break up?" she was going to be strong about it. No recriminations, no fuss. She would just accept it –if that's what tomwanted. Sighing deeply tom gazed out over the ocean. His hands were clenched tightly at his sides, and his face looked severe in the moonlight. Every inch of jenny was waiting. A part of her couldn't believe that he didn't say no straight away. Finally he turned. Avoiding her gaze he whispered, "I don't know" Jenny was dumbfounded. "you don't know?" she paused for a moment, collecting herself. "Okay, well –let me make it easier. Go to Ole miss and consider us done. I wont be standing in your way" she said, unable to keep the sarcasm from her voice. Then, dignity intact, she turned and made her way into the condo.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Running into the master bedroom she shut the door and leaned against it as tears spilled down her cheeks. There was a soft knock on the door." Jenny please, lets just talk." "Not now Tom" she whispered back, "Just go away."

"I'm not going to leave till you come out Jenny, we need to sort this out." Anger flared in Jenny again. After breaking up with her he couldn't even leave her alone in her misery. Fine. He could just wait there. Grabbing a sweater she silently opened the side door that led out of the master bedroom and made her way down to the beach.

All of her senses felt numb. A part of her was whispering for her to go back, to sort it out. But the other part was adamant. It was Tom's choice. But her heart felt like it was breaking. It was almost surreal. She had never expected a day like this to occur, had never even imagined it. Hearing raised voices before she reached the group, she knew automatically it was Audrey and Michael. She couldn't deal with that now. She needed some time to herself, to think. Turning away, Jenny walked in the opposite direction down the deserted beach.

Leaning against a large rock, a mile or so down, Jenny rested. It was quiet and peaceful by herself. The tide had moved in and the waves broke gently against the edge of the rock. Casting of her sandals, Jenny let them lap up around her ankles, softly massaging her feet. She felt like she was moving in a dream. There was no noise apart from the soft murmur of the ocean and a light breeze tenderly caressing her skin. She felt –free. As if, right now, nothing else mattered. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the fresh sea air. Here the moon seemed even bigger than it did before, shining a mesmerising silvery path down the length of the ocean. It was almost like a gateway to another world and Jenny wished she could follow its rippling path and leave everything else behind.

"There you are" a voice said startling Jenny out of her reverie. Heart beating wildly she turned to see Jack. "Oh!" Jenny exclaimed, clutching her hand to her neck

"You scared me!" "Is everything okay" he asked, sitting down on the rock beside her. "Yeah its fine!" Jenny reassured him a little self conscious. She couldn't explain why, but she still felt a little unsure around him, even though she'd known him all summer. "Audrey and Michael were at it again so I just needed to get away" "yeah I know" Jack agreed "same here!" smiling at him Jenny turned to look at the ocean again. "Its really calming being out here, helps you just switch off" still smiling she turned to look at him. The moonlight glinted of his dark hair, turned his eyes into deep black pools and Jenny was struck by how good looking he was. And his smile, enough to melt ice caps. Astonished at herself Jenny turned away again. She really shouldn't be thinking these things. _Especially _not after tonight! The sudden reminder of Tom bought her sharply back to the present. Her stomach felt like lead again and all she wanted to do right now was to go home.

"So are you and Tom okay? Things were a bit tense tonight" Jack stated casually. "Oh, it's just- a little complicated right now" Jenny said uncomfortably. "It's nothing big." There was silence for a few minutes as Jenny gathered herself. "I've been in love before" Jack said simply. "It didn't end too well either." "Oh, I'm sorry" Jenny said, then, hesitating, she asked, more out of politeness than anything else, "What happened?" "I offered her the world, but she turned it down." He replied, his voice slow, almost lyrical. "I look at her now though, and I can see she's unhappy, and I wonder" he said turning to look at Jenny, "whether it was worth it. Everything she turned down and for what!?" "W-why did she turn you down?" Jenny asked. For some reason the subject unsettled her. In a way it hit a little too close to home. Thoughts of Julian had been running through her head ever since the dream. "She chose the other guy. This arrogant, conceited _loser_, and now, she's paying for it!" Okay this _definitely_ hit too close to home and Jenny looked up at him quizzically. He couldn't know about her and Julian? And there was an undercurrent to the words that Jenny just about felt. It was almost taunting, vicious even. Feeling a bit disconcerted she decided it was time to get back.

"He's like tom, don't you think?" Jack said, looking directly at her, his eyes dark and twinkling. Mocking. Jenny almost didn't think she'd heard him right. "Look Jack" she said, mentally shaking herself. "I know Tom hasn't been himself lately, but you don't really know him at all and-""Still defending him" Jack said, shaking his head and looking down at her intensely. "Haven't you gotten tired of it yet?" he asked and Jenny was rendered speechless, why on earth was he saying this to her? It was completely bizarre. Feeling it was definitely time to get back to the others Jenny got back on her feet. "Look we should probably just get back to the others. They'll start wondering where we are, don't want them to worry" Grabbing her sandals she turned to walk back.

"Come on Jenny!" Jack laughed softly. "Do you honestly not know?!" Jenny stopped and turned to look at him. "Know what?" he was crazy! "You know Jenny!" he whispered again, leaning in slightly, bridging the gap between them." I saw you get it at the fire, and then it slipped away." This was absolute insanity. Shutting her eyes she tried vainly to make sense of the situation. "Jack please" she implored, "lets just go back."

She opened her eyes to plead with him and lost her breath. She couldn't speak, couldn't move, couldn't _breathe_. She was seeing something that was literally _impossible,_ that just could not happen. Her eyes grew large with disbelief. It just couldn't be, but it was.

It was Julian.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Jenny felt the blood rush to her head. Could hear the low whimper she made. The soft _thunk_ her sandals made as they fell from her limp hand "Shhhh, its okay" Julian said as he gently reeled her in by her hand, supporting her. Leaning back into the rock he held her softly, letting the shock subside. A thousand things ran through Jenny's head. He was dead. He had _died._ Shed seen it. True it was to save her but still – _she had watched him disappear._ "How are you- how did you-" she couldn't even formulate a sentence. A deep tremor was running through her. "I was reborn" Julian said, matter-of –factly. Every 500 years a new – _shadow, _if you like, is created, to continue on the race, and I" Julian said mockingly, "was the chosen heir- again" A strange suspicion was forming in Jenny's mind. "Did they, carve you back on to the stave?" she asked quietly, remembering the dream she'd had. "Yes" Julian said. "The stave of life" His voice was laced with humour but Jenny could sense the vicious undertone.

Feeling her strength returning Jenny twisted herself out of Julian's' arms. "Let go of me now, I can stand" He leaned back against the rock watching her gather herself. Jenny's senses were tingling all over in warning. The aura of danger that Julian carried with him, was radiating out of him. Jenny didn't know what to think. Part of her wanted to cry in joy that he wasn't dead. She had always felt his loss. But the other part of her was beginning to panic. What is he doing back? She thought hysterically, he can't be after me again, he lost all claim the last time. "You still wear the ring" Julian said his voice as cold and beautiful as the first time she heard it. "Yes" she whispered, turning to look at him as he took her hand. Jenny found herself studying him. She had always remembered what Julian had looked like. Ethereally beautiful. His face a sculpture created by some renaissance artist. And his eyes the deepest colour of blue. But memory served for nothing when compared with the real study.

His hair was the same silvery white, hanging low over his eyes, framing the dark eyelashes. She still couldn't describe the exact colour of his eyes. They _glowed _with an energy that made them indescribable, and frighteningly beautiful. Looking up to find her studying him, Julian flashed a slow seductive smile- the one that made Jenny's breath hitch and her knees feel weak. He was still holding her hand with the ring and slowly, lacing his fingers through hers, he bought her in close. Jenny felt her heart race. She was trembling all over and slow warmth was spreading from her cheeks down. He was so close. She could see every eyelash; feel the warmth of his breath. Her eyes were locked with his as he slowly lowered his head down to hers. The kiss was beyond anything Jenny remembered. Slow and sensuous yet deep and burning. She could feel it becoming more and more urgent. They were entwined so close she almost didn't know where she ended and Julian began. One of his hands was twined deeply in her hair, holding her face close to his, while the other was still interlocked with hers. Her body was on slow burn and she felt herself losing control. Frantically trying to regain herself, she pulled back and stumbled out of Julian's reach. She was breathing heavily, cheeks flushed, desperately trying to compose herself. She could hear Julian's breath, as heavy and laboured as hers, eyes dark as he watched her.

"What are you doing here Julian" she said, looking up at him. "Why are you here?"

"I came for you" he said casually, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "But we finished that – a long time ago, you –" "Died for you, yes I remember" Julian said conversationally. "And I would again, if I had to" Julian said eyes burning, and Jenny's heart thumped. "But I'm hoping to keep the elders out of it this time." "Out of it?" Jenny said bewildered. "I don't understand, I won your last game, you don't have a claim anymore". Sighing deeply he turned to gaze out at the sea. "There is an ancient law", he said slowly, his voice deep, "created around the same time as the universe, that when a person sacrifices themselves for another, that person gains a claim on the other persons life. It is a subtle magic that binds the survivor to the one that is sacrificed, like a ripple effect, an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth type thing. Only in this case it's a life for a life" "So when you died for me-""The magic was invoked, yes", Julian continued. "But obviously there was no way for you to repay the debt, so it remains standing to this day." Jenny could feel her heart sinking. "You must understand Jenny. I did not sacrifice myself in order for the debt to be claimed. I never expected to be reborn, but it's what the elders wanted – a new game to amuse them, to see what actions I'd take next."

Jenny nodded slowly, she understood and inexplicably, a part of her felt sorry for him - a little. She had always thought it was very cold to be a shadow man. To be created out of shadows, always watching earth, but never actually living. She knew how Julian had hated it, had wanted desperately to change. "So that's why they bought you back?" Jenny asked softly. "Yes" he said simply, then continuing "- I saw you, you know, as I was forming". Jenny shut her eyes. She remembered the mist, saw the arms come out of it. She hadn't been dreaming. "Why was I there?" "We're connected now - through the ring" Jenny glanced down at her hand. At the ring she'd never taken off since Julian's last game.

There was a silence for a few minutes as Jenny gathered her thoughts. "You could relinquish the claim…right?" she asked tentatively. "I could" Julian agreed, and Jenny's heart leaped, "But I think we both know I wont" Sighing Jenny nodded. She had expected as such. "See" Julian said softly, slowly linking his hand with hers, "If I did that, I lose you, and I'm not willing for that to happen." Julian's fingers tightened their grip around hers, sending little shots of electricity up her arm. "I still love you, you see" His thumb slowly began to circle her wrist in slow seductive strokes and Jenny shut her eyes. His voice was so haunting. Permeating her blood, making it race around her body. "I won't lose you again." He said slowly, his voice dropping to a haunting whisper that sent chills up Jenny's spine.

Suddenly Julian pulled away "So what do we do Jenny?!" he said jovially, smiling wickedly at her, jerking Jenny out of her reverie, his contemplative mood clearly over. Jenny didn't know what to say, but she felt she should at least be honest. "I'm not going to go with you Julian. Nothings changed from last time." "I expected as much" he replied genially. "And I'm not going to force you, I don't find that – fun" Jenny felt relief go through her. She had unconsciously been holding her breath and she let it out with a silent _whoosh. _"That's why I have 2 choices for you" Julian continued smiling widely at her. "One you can come with me willingly, which" he said reclining his head at her, "we have already ruled out, or 2 – we play another game" Jenny's head jerked up. Not another game. The last _three _had taken all the strength she'd had. She couldn't do it again. "That's no choice at all" she said angrily as Julian smiled mockingly back. "But no" she said loudly, "no more games" "Then you'll come with me!" Julian said amused, one corner of his mouth still raised in a mocking smile. "_No_" Jenny said again –she couldn't think. She wasn't going to go freely but she couldn't handle another game. Not if they were anything like the rest. "Why are you doing this… _Again?" _she asked frustrated.

A part of her just wanted to run away. Turn back and just run back to the group and not think about it. But the idea of Julian even letting her get more than two steps away was laughable. She closed her eyes again. Maybe she was dreaming. If she pinched herself and opened her eyes he wouldn't be there. It didn't work. He was still standing there, watching her, openly amused at her actions. "You're not giving me any choice Julian… that's hardly-sporting" she said remembering his views on fairness. Julian laughed openly, genuinely amused. "I'm giving you two choices Jenny, you can't ask for more sporting than that!"

She turned away from Julian, staring at the sea the silvery path seeming more alluring than it ever did before. She stared up at the sky again, and another idea hit her. "Hunter moon" she said softly, "Did you plan it?" "It could just be coincidence" Julian smiled wolfishly, pushing his long hair out of his eyes. "But like I said before, I _am_ a hunter!"

"If I decide on a game it's just going to be you and me" Jenny said looking at him, "the others aren't going to be involved this time." "If you wish, although I do have a partial claim on them too" Julian said. "What?!" Jenny exclaimed, horrified, "How?" "You were all involved in setting free the elders prisoners" Julian said, "Even though the elders had singled you out they would have eventually placed their claim on the others. Jenny shut her eyes in desperation. Images flashed of Michael cutting his hand, staining the runes with blood, Dee and Audrey helping Michael stain the runes, and summer, screaming as the rest of the arcade came alive in protest. "But Tom and Zach… they didn't do anything, you can't have a claim on them." "You're right, I don't. Not on them." And Jenny relaxed a little; at least the two of them were safe. "But it's me you want Julian. Couldn't I just play the game? Leave them out of it?"; "If you wish, yes, but it does reduce any chance you have of winning". Jenny nodded. The other times she'd only gotten through the games because of her friends. Dee's strength, Audrey's practicality even Michaels complaining. But she couldn't. Not this time. They all had so _much _to live for. Studies and travelling, living their lives. She couldn't jeopardise all that _again_. "What do you say?" Julian asked, waiting patiently as she thought. "I don't know" Jenny said almost whispering. She felt the panic rise up inside her, could feel it threaten to engulf her. But she couldn't right now she needed to think.

"How about" Julian said slowly, "I give you time to think about it!?" Jenny turned to look at him, eyebrows raised in surprise. "I'm not so bad you know" he said chuckling at her expression, "if you want time to decide, I can give it to you -Of course if you want to resolve this here and now…" "No, no ill take the time" Jenny said. "As you wish!" Julian said, bowing gallantly to her. His good humour radiating out in soft infectious waves. "How much time?" Jenny asked "I'll come back soon, at which case we either play the game, or we just settle it" He glanced at her again. His gaze deep and hungry. He was still in Jacks clothing and Jenny asked a question she had been dreading; "How did you know about Michael's cousin?" Without ever moving his eyes from her face, Julian replied "Michael doesn't have a cousin. But it was easy to see that it was something he wanted. Wasn't hard for me to convince him who I was." Jenny felt her heart ache. Poor Michael. Wanting a family so bad. How was she going to tell him about Julian? It would break him. It was so… _cruel. _Any sympathy she'd felt towards Julian earlier had disappeared. How _dare _he play with Michael that way?"

Was it you?" she asked angrily, "Making us fight? Audrey and Michael, me and Tom?" "Me?! Jenny, you don't need me to fight! Humans are really the most fascinating creatures. You fight about the most irrelevant things. Hung up on material possessions, on wanting what someone else has. Blaming others for your misfortunes. I don't need to create any fights! And as for Tommy…" Jenny knew he was right but was never going to give him the satisfaction of knowing it. "How much time do I have?", "I'll let you know! - soon" Julian replied. "Well how much time is _soon_?" she asked angrily.

Hearing a voice in the distance, Jenny turned to see who it was. It vaguely sounded like Dee. She turned back to find herself alone, Julian had gone. "Damn" Jenny cried, frustrated. "Jenny" she heard Dee call. "I'm over here" she called weakly. "Where have you been" Dee said "We've been looking all over" Jenny just stared at her. "You ok Thornton?" Dee asked worriedly. Jenny knew she was still pale in shock and she couldn't bring herself to answer Dee. "Okay sunshine" Dee whistled, "We are taking _you _home! Come on Michael should have found Jack by now and we're all leaving" At the sound of Michaels name Jenny balked. She couldn't - _couldn't_ tell Michael. "Yeah I know" Dee said mistaking Jenny's actions. "Jack a-walled too! Audrey wasn't too happy!" Oh God! Jenny thought. Audrey. She had a crush on Jack too. How much of it was in part to annoy Michael, she didn't know, but there was another person "Jack" had used.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Dee" Jenny began just before they reached the bonfire. But summer had spotted them and came running over. "There you are Jenny, we've been so worried" Just then Michael and Audrey came back as well. "Where's tom" Jenny asked, she could feel slight tremors runs through her at the thought of what lay ahead. She didn't want to tell the others at all, it wasn't their burden to bear. But she knew she had to. Not only to explain about Jack, but for their own safety too. Julian had said it was her choice, but that depended on him staying true to his word, which, for a shadow man, could be quite deceptive. "He stayed up in the condo. After he uh found that you weren't there, he came down and told us and then went back" Michael said distractedly.

"We need to talk", Jenny said wearily, her shoulders heavy with the knowledge of what she had to say. There were slight shivers running through her, which, she knew had nothing to do with the night air. "Cant yet" Michael said distractedly, still looking for any sight of Jack. "Jack hasn't turned up yet, I'm gonna kick his ass when I see him" Jenny drew a deep breath. She was _not _looking forward to this.

"Michael…" Jenny said anxiously, and then paused, she just couldn't tell him. She felt sick, stomach churning uncontrollably. She felt like Michael would hate her-would blame _her_ for what Julian had done. She was shaking uncontrollably, the aftermath of such a turbulent evening, she supposed. "Okay Jenny" Dee said sternly "_I'm _taking you back _right now_ and the rest can make their way with Michael when Jack turns up" And she started walking towards the condo, pulling Jenny with her.. "NO" Jenny said angrily, loudly. Too loud. She could see Dee look at her, sensed the others surprise. She had to do this-if only to explain to Michael. "Julian's back-"she said, voice cracking, "he's Jack"

There was utter silence, and then Michael laughed. "Seriously Jen, don't tell me the "Hunter moons" affected you! I mean, id say you were tripping but I'm _pretty _sure you don't do acid so I'm gonna settle for hallucinating instead!" The rest were still staring at her. Audrey's eyebrows were hiked so high they had disappeared under her thick fringe.

Jenny looked at Dee. Out of all of them she hoped Dee might believe her. She was looking calculatedly at Jenny. "Julian's back?" she asked seriously. "Come on Dee!" Michael laughed, "Look Jenny I know you're having a tough time with Tom right now, but dreaming up Julian isn't gonna solve the problem" "Shut up Mikey" Dee said, "Does this have anything to do with the dream you told me about?" She said, turning back to Jenny. "Yes" Jenny said quietly. "Okay what dream" Audrey demanded, hands on her hips "I want to know what is going on right now"

Jenny filled them in on everything. Starting with the dream and ending with what Julian had said to her. "It doesn't have to involve you guys this time, the claim will be gone once I play" Jenny reassured them. The rest were sitting blankly around the dying bonfire. Jenny knew what they were feeling; shed felt it too, the same stomach dropping sense of dread. Only Michael was still standing, looking away from the rest. "Michael I'm sorry" Jenny said whispering. Shrugging Michael turned, "Should have known, thought it was weird dad called me like that. My fault for falling for it" "No Michael" Jenny said earnestly "Not your fault its Julian's, he had us all fooled. If you're going to be angry with anyone it should be me" "Why would I be angry with you?" Michael said, finally joining the rest at the fire. "Not your fault" "Yes it is" Jenny said vehemently. "All this, all of the past games, losing Summer, they've all been _my _fault. And I'm going to put an end to it once and for all. Julian may be back but it _doesn't _involve you guys okay?" "The hell it doesn't" Dee said darkly. "I swore once to kick the shadow dudes ass – I'm gonna do it as long as I have too" "Me too Jenny" Summer piped up, "I'm not backing out" "Me either" Audrey said. "It involves us either way Jenny" Zach said, the voice of reason, "We're in regardless". Jenny looked up. "it doesn't involve you Zach" she said urgently, "Julian doesn't have a claim on you – or on Tom." "And you think I'm going to back out because of that? Well I'm not going too –and I don't think Tom will either." "I think", Dee interrupted "we should go back. We need to think this through rationally. And we need to fill Tom-boy in too." She finished sternly, gathering everyone into action. "No Dee" Jenny said, her protests going unheard. "I'm doing this on my own…me…" she trailed off, realising no one was listening to her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Sitting in a circle around the living room, Jenny felt a rush of familiarity. It was exactly like the last time Julian had come to claim her and they had all gathered in Michaels apartment. The thought sent a slight wave of apprehension through her. Dee had filled Tom in on what had happened, and he sat in the corner, face unreadable in the soft lamplight.

"So what now?" he asked quietly, running his fingers through his hair. Jenny was sitting beside summer and Dee. Zach had grabbed the cushions on the floor and Audrey, Jenny noticed gratefully, was sitting on the armrest of Michael's chair, with one arm resting supportively on his shoulder. "Now," Jenny said to all of them, "I decide whether _I'm _going to play this game or not. I know the rest of you are affected by it but I'm not going to let you play." "That's not your choice Jenny" Dee said quietly, her face serious in the soft glow from Michael's side lamp. "You stand a better chance with us all there; you're not going to sacrifice everything just so we don't have to play. The fact of the matter is," Dee continued rising from her chair and facing Jenny, "the last few times we won, we won as a team. There was a group effort involved. It's the same with all sports. If one player takes on responsibility the defence of the team is lowered. Its only when they work together do they win. We know how we can win. We all know each others fears already. We've faced them all so that's an advantage we have to our side. This time it's going to be easy."

Jenny couldn't help but not believe her. True they knew each others fears, but she didn't think it would be that easy. Julian knew how to manipulate each of their fears to make them worse. And they had almost _died_ the last time –all of them. "I don't think its going to be easy" Tom was saying, "But we'll get through it again. But there has to be a clause this time. If we win, then this is it. No more coming back or taking prisoners." Jenny didn't know what to say. She knew nothing she could say would dissuade them now. At least not Tom and Dee anyway. "Okay" she said finally, accepting defeat.

"When is Julian coming for the answer?" Summer asked quietly. "I don't know" Jenny whispered back, "he just said he'd let me know". She glanced at Tom from the corner of her eye, gauging his reaction. Even though he was just on the other side of the room, it felt like the distance between them had never been greater. "Well its nice to see he's as annoying as ever" Audrey said, lips pursed in disapproval.

They had talked some more after that, Jenny still trying to persuade them not to play, and then they had gone to sleep. Now Jenny sat on the ledge in the living room, watching the sky grow gradually lighter as dawn approached. She hadn't slept a wink all night. A million thoughts pounded through her head, she felt a little feverish and rested her head against the cool glass.

I should have known she thought miserably. She knew there was something about Jack that puzzled her. Shed had a million chances to find out. His questions about the ring, the _smile_, not least tonight when their eyes had locked over the fire. Hearing a slight noise behind her she turned to find Tom standing in the doorway. "Hi" she whispered. His eyes were still heavy from sleep and his hair was slightly tousled. "I didn't know you were here, sorry." He whispered. " If you're ok ill head back" "Tom wait" Jenny whispered urgently, as he turned to go. Turning, he leant on the frame of the doorway for support. "Before we start this, start the game, I have to clear this up. I know you want to go to Ole Miss. And I want you to go. It's your dream, and I just think that you shouldn't be part of this game. I mean Julian doesn't have a claim on you. You don't need to be part of this." She could see he was about to protest, but she continued in a rush, "Tom, just_ think_ about it. It doesn't involve you." "I don't think I can Jenny." Tom said quietly. "Even if there is no claim, it still involves my friends. And it involves you. I'm not backing out" "But tom" Jenny whispered desperately, "No" he said abruptly, "I don't know what's going to happen, in the game – or between _us_, but I'm not backing out." He glanced at her once more sitting on the ledge, then turned and went back to his room.

She had fallen asleep, must have anyway, as she woke to find herself alone on the ledge. Full daylight was streaming in through the curtains. There was fresh coffee brewing and Jenny could smell fresh bagels. She had no appetite but knew shed have to eat – she'd need her energy for when Julian came back. "morning" Dee said as she walked into the kitchen. "Take it you didn't sleep?!" "Not a wink" Jenny replied back grabbing a cup of coffee. "So what now?" Audrey asked, pulling up a chair beside Jenny. "Now we wait."

The day passed slowly. Jenny spent the time curled up on the couch in the living room. Waiting. The others passed to and fro, occasionally talking, but for the most part they sat quietly. For Jenny the time passed in a blur. Images of Julian and tom passed intermittently through her mind. Julian as Jack, Julian as Julian, back and forth till she felt like she was going to scream. It didn't help that Tom was studiously ignoring her. The weather outside reflected the general mood of the house. The sky was grey and leaden. Heavy with clouds. And it just felt _oppressive_. Almost suffocating, till Jenny felt that if she didn't get out she would faint. Pulling on a jumper she made to slip out quietly towards the beach. Just a quick walk to clear her head.

Slipping out through the side door she made her way quietly down to the beach. A little way down she sat and watched the waves pound against the shore, resting her head against her knees. She kept remembering Julian's final moments before he died. The slash of the knife. The liquid diamond spilling like blood. Julian stumbling. He had looked so fragile and vulnerable. His words reverberating in her mind. "ill dream another dream" and Jenny had been glad that he was finally at peace. But now she didn't know whether to be glad that Julian was alive again. She had felt guilty about his death and a part of her was overjoyed that he was back, that she hadn't caused his death. But now he'd come to haunt her again. Whether it was coincidence that tom had _just _decided to break up with her, she didn't know, but either way Julian's timing couldn't have been better. With everything that had happened with tom, Jenny was at her most vulnerable. She didn't know if she had the strength to fight off Julian's advances. Especially when he came to her all soft and melodic, offering her "the world" "And _why not?" _her inner voice argued? "What's keeping you here?" She could go with Julian. Accept all his gifts, and live in a world filled with excitement and danger. But what would become of her? Would she turn into a shadow? Live eternally and watch, as all those dear to her moved on? Would she become a shadow too? Flitting in and out of the real world?

The thoughts floated haphazardly through her head and before she knew it night had fallen. The walk back to the condo took longer than she expected and she wondered whether the others had noticed her absence. She wasn't prepared for the commotion that happened when she returned. "_Where have you been?" _Audrey cried as she walked into the living room. "_We've been so worried. Tom and Dee went looking everywhere for you." _ The entire place was in uproar. Summer was sitting on the couch with tears streaming down her place and Zach and Michael were pacing the living room floor. She could feel Dee staring at her accusingly and couldn't face her gaze. "I'm sorry" she stammered out. "I didn't mean to make you worry, I just-needed to get out." "We thought Julian had taken you", Audrey burst out again. "Why didn't you just tell us where you were going?" "I don't know" Jenny said distraught, "I didn't think I was gone that long, I'm sorry" her voice broke as she said sorry and she turned and ran into her and Audrey's bedroom. She felt like she was stuck in a never ending nightmare. They had all looked at her so accusingly. She couldn't blame them though. It was her fault.

There was a soft knock on the door and Dee walked in. "its all right you know" she said softly sitting beside Jenny on the bed. "We were just worried." "I know" Jenny said her voice breaking again, "But I can't help but feel like they're all blaming me. Michael probably hates me. I just think I should go with Julian. I should. It makes everything easier." "How so?" Dee said turning to look at her. "You would all be safe…maybe you wouldn't hate me either." "Nobody hates you Jenny" Dee said exasperated. "Do you think" Dee said a moment later, "That Julian planned this? Made all this happen so you felt like you didn't have a choice?" "I don't know" Jenny replied worriedly, "can he use our emotions like that?" "Can't he" Dee said softly. It wasn't a question. "either way its working Jenny." Dee continued. "The game hasn't even started and already you've given up. Don't let him win this way. You have to fight it. Believe in yourself again." With that Dee rose and left the room, leaving Jenny alone with her thoughts.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

It was the next morning and Julian still hadn't shown. They were all sitting in the living room. Waiting. "Maybe he decided not to go through with it" Michael said hopefully from the corner. Jenny smiled winsomely at the thought as Dee snorted derisively. "Fat chance Mikey" Dee said slapping him on the back, "Its probably just his way of making it even more of a pain in the ass" "I'm surprised you feel that way" A voice said from the shadow in the doorway, before stepping forward. "After all," Julian continued, "You had a choice not to be involved this time at all." Jenny tried to brace herself, but failed. She could feel her heart racing again and she knew, _knew _that whatever Julian had planned was going to be bad. What ever doubt the rest had felt at Julian's return was gone. She could feel the fear ripple through each of them as he swept a gaze around, settling on Jenny sitting in the window seat.

"Welcome back" Dee said sarcastically from beside Michael. Julian politely reclined his head. "Thank you", he said acknowledging her, his cat tilted eyes wide with sincerity. "I have to admit, such a reception is unprecedented. I should visit more often" Some one, Michael, Jenny thought, let out a derisive snort. "Of course, I have met all of you before, I must thank you Michael" Julian continued, mockingly. "Your hospitality these past few weeks could not have been more- _welcome_". Jenny could see Michael look wretchedly down, but Julian was carrying on. "Your Aunt Rose called though, something about Jack having to return home. Said he was bored senseless staying here..." "Shut up!" Jenny cried jumping up and walking over towards Julian. She was trembling with indignation, "You don't talk to Michael, _you _talk to me." "Happily" Julian said innocently, his voice deep, fixing his gaze on her. Jenny felt a current wash over her, and, as if aware of his effect on her, Julian's smile deepened. "We've decided we're all going to play" she said loudly, covering the turmoil that was raging inside her. Tom stood up to stand beside her and she felt her voice strengthen. "But this is the last game Julian. No more after this. No prisoners no coming back" "Of course" he said. "_If _you win"

"So what is the game this time?" Dee asked. "It's a game of strength and endurance and fear" Julian replied nonchalantly, gazing at them all lazily, as if bored by the mundane-ness of the situation. "You all will be playing the game alone_"_ Julian paused to let it sink in, a slight smirk on his beautiful face and Jenny could feel her stomach drop. He had it planned that their one strength couldn't be used. "What do you mean?" She said. "I mean that you start and finish the game on your own." "Then it's only me playing" Jenny said hurriedly, "No one else" "Not a chance" Tom said. "Even if we're playing alone we'll still get through it better as a team, you're not doing this alone" "Exactly" The rest agreed, drowning out Jenny. Julian watched the impassioned exchange before saying, "So are we agreed then?" "Yes" Dee said loudly, cutting over Jenny. "Just tell us what to do"

"In the game you will have to face your worst fears, fears you may not even know you have." Julian said, his voice filled with elemental music. "One by one you will all enter in a room and face your fear…or die." "Haven't we done that already?" Dee asked sceptically. "Not exactly", Julian said smiling knowingly, "I made it too easy last time." Jenny started. _Easy?_ Summer had _died_ last time. But he was continuing. "Some of the "nightmares" may be ones you didn't even know you had – it may be a little –_psychologically_ challenging shall we say" he paused a moment, as if to let it sink in. "For example, you may run into one another in a room but it is up to you to discover whether the person is real or whether they're part of your nightmare." "There is a twist though" he continued, smiling. "One of you will have to survive all of your nightmares. Otherwise you all will automatically die! That is all. Let the game begin" "Wait" Dee said. "When you say die… are we actually dead?" "Not unless the games over and no one wins" Julian said smiling wolfishly.

Jenny was finding it hard to breathe. This game was starting to sound like a very, very bad idea. Just as she was about to say something Julian snapped his finger and something appeared on the coffee table. It was a paper house. Jenny sense of utter fear deepened. It was a model replica of Audrey's parent's condo. The one they were in right now. The shutters were painted in gleaming white and there was a light coming from the front window. Where the living room was, where they were sitting right now. "Oh God" Jenny whispered feebly. "Did I mention there's a time limit as well? You must finish at midnight tonight or lose automatically, as before." He took one last look at Jenny, and then, with another snap of his fingers Julian disappeared.

Jenny looked at the rest. They all looked as shocked as she felt. "I told you this was a bad idea" Jenny whispered slowly. The living room clock struck 12. "Midday" Michael whispered slowly. "I think" Dee said, "that we'd better get started…we have 12 hours from now." They all went to get changed and to pack some provisions for the game. Jenny slipped on a warm hooded Jumper and some Hiking shoes and then hurriedly went to the living room. "There's a set of instructions here" Tom called out, Automatically Jenny went to sit down beside tom, as one by one they all gathered around the table. "Right what does it say" Audrey said, sitting next to Michael on the floor. "Where are the dolls?" Summer piped up. "Here" Dee said disgustedly, pulling out 7 paper dolls from the ruins of the house. Jenny understood the disgust in Dee's voice. They were the same dolls from the first game, coloured in by themselves. They were torn and grotty from age and Jenny could feel her skin crawling. There was something so _creepy_ about the dolls. She almost didn't want to touch hers, and she stared at the wax coloured Jenny with mounting disgust. "First thing I'm going to do after this game" Dee muttered, "Is burn this stupid house and these dolls" and Jenny agreed with her wholeheartedly, although she couldn't shake the feeling that there wasn't going to be an "after this game" for any of them. Worst of all was the look she had seen in Julian's eyes, when he had seen her and Tom standing together. It had been _savage_. That was the word to describe it, and she knew this game was going to be the worst of them all.

"The game begins in the living room." Tom began, reading from the card in front of him. "The game is played separately and each player travels from room to room facing a different fear, until they reach the end. There are six rooms to be faced by each player to win. From time to time the player may see another player in the room. This may just be an illusion or it may be the real person. It is up to the player to decide. If the player guesses correctly then the two players can work together to beat the room. The player marked with the gold star _must_ survive all the rooms in order to win the game." Okay" Tom said, "who's marked with the gold star?" one by one the checked their dolls. Jenny looked at hers, then slowly turned it over. On the back was a shiny gold star. "big surprise there" Dee said matter of factly, as Jenny stared dumbfounded. How was she supposed to face all of her nightmares? All of her fears. Alone? "Don't worry tiger, you can do it" Dee said looking at Jenny. "you'll do it because you have too. Okay?" she said , as Jenny nodded numbly." okay, Lets do this, ready or not Julian" Dee said encouragingly, as one by one they placed their dolls into the house.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Jenny had expected the same burning wind to come as had in the first game, but this time was different. There was a slight rippling sensation and a slight pull that made her stomach lurch and her eyes closed automatically. When she opened them again she was in the paper house. And all alone.

For a few moments Jenny sat in the darkness and studied her surroundings. She was in the living room but it was different to how they left it. Candles were lit throwing flickering shadows on the wall and the curtains were draped shut. She got up slowly and swept the dust of her jeans, her hair had come lose somehow and she tied it tightly to keep it out of her way. She didn't know what she was supposed to do now but she was terrified of moving. If she didn't move, if she stayed still, nothing could happen. But then, she reasoned, they would lose anyway so she had to move. _Move_, she said to herself, slowly taking a step forward. Okay good, she said to herself moving towards the door that led out towards the hallway. Trembling just slightly, she pulled it open.

The hallway stretched out for miles in front of her, just as it had in the original paper house. Julian's magic converting it into a never ending house of fear. It was painted the same classical cream as the actual condo, and was lit by thousands of candles set in green candleholders.

She walked for about 5 minutes coming across nothing and nobody. Just miles of interminable hallway. It was a rather eerie feeling. She knew the other were probably doing the same thing right now. Walking in the same hall, beside her. Absent mindedly she put her hands out as if expecting to feel something in the air beside her.

Finally she saw a door. Jenny walked up and cautiously turned the handle. _Here goes,_ she thought as_ s_he peered into the room carefully. It was the living room again. Hesitating for only a second, she walked in and the door slowly shut behind her.

Jenny felt strangely disorientated. She didn't know whether she had accidentally doubled back, but the door into the room had disappeared so she had to be in the right place. There was dead silence in the room and her little fingers were tingling in warning. There was a very electric atmosphere in the room, almost as if it was waiting for something to happen and the feeling of dread slowly built itself up inside her. She stepped further into the room and gasped in surprise.

Sitting on the couch was Tom. "Tom" she said happily, rushing forward, then drew back remembering. It mightn't _be _tom. It could just be an illusion. She stopped and looked for a moment. How was she supposed to tell? The tom on the couch was looking up at her with the same feeling of mis-trust.

"Jenny?" he said cautiously. "yeah" she said back, still hesitant. "how did you get here?" she asked.

"I think I doubled back. I woke up in here, went to the hall and this was the first door I came across. When I came in though, the door disappeared. I guess this is the first nightmare then?"

"It must be" Jenny said trembling. "how do I know you're tom?" she said unhappily.

Jenny still didn't know. Her instincts told her it was but she had been fooled before. It was unsettling, knowing she couldn't trust her senses. Or what she was seeing.

"Ask me a question." He said heavily, rising from the couch. "Something only the real tom would know."

"Okay" Jenny said uncertainly, "Where did we first meet?"

"At Michaels eight birthday party in seventh grade. Just after you moved from Pennsylvania." Tom grinned sheepishly. "And I gave you a daisy and said you were pretty."

Jenny smiled remembering. A week after, her and tom had become Tom and Jenny.

"Jenny I'm sorry" tom was saying moving towards her and gathering her in a hug. "for everything I've done the past week, I'm sorry." "Its okay" Jenny murmured back hugging him tight. This felt so right, it was like a great weight was being lifted off her shoulder. She knew with tom by her side she could win the game in an instant.

"I think we should get back together." Tom was saying, "We have to stay together, always"

Hearing the sound of a door opening behind her, Jenny turned in surprise. The door she had entered through had re-appeared and walking through was…Tom! Bewildered Jenny looked in horror at the new tom. She was still in a half embrace with the other tom, and she pulled away, her heart thudding.

"Jenny?" the new tom said in bewilderment.

Jenny couldn't speak. She was looking at the two toms in shock. Which one was the real one? _How was she supposed to know?_ "I…" Jenny mumbled looking at the two of them.

"Jenny get away from him" the tom by the door said. "that's not me." "don't trust him Jenny" the other one said.

Just then the door re-appeared. Another tom entered. Jenny could do nothing but stare on in disbelief. She didn't know what was going on. The third tom had just started saying he was the real tom. All of Jenny's fingers were tingling and slowly, unconsciously, she took a step back from the toms. They were getting louder and louder, each claiming he was the real one and Jenny slammed her hands over her ears. She needed to think for a moment. Julian had said they would face their subconscious fears but what fear did she have that involved tom? Three toms at that?

Suddenly one of them lunged forward and grabbed Jenny's hand. Pulling her towards him. "stay away from her" he shouted at the rest.

"Get your hands off her" yelled another grabbing her other hand and trying to pull her away. All of a sudden Jenny was caught in a tug-of-war between them. each of them pulling at her trying to make her believe them.

"Stop it, _stop it" _Jenny cried, tears were pouring down her face and her arms ached from the pulling. A heavy blow, knocked Jenny out of their arms and sent her sprawling across the room, knocking over the table that held the crystal glass decanters that shattered on the floor. Winded, Jenny stared at the commotion happening above her. the three toms were still fighting, moving closer to where Jenny was on the floor, looming over her, threatening. It was almost like they'd grown in size, each trying to claim her, vying for her attention. Hysterical, Jenny picked up a shard of glass to use as protection. It was long and pointed at the edge, like an icicle. Just then a door appeared in the space beside her and another tom entered, looking around in disbelief at the scene in front of him.

"Oh God" Jenny cried, distraught. Catching sight of her crouched on the floor, the new tom ran in between her and the others, trying to protect her. "Jenny" he cried the door is still there run to it and get out. _Get out."_

Jenny couldn't comprehend what he was saying. "go" he cried as she stared horrified at the other toms. Their features had turned harsh and exaggerated, distorted. They no longer looked like tom and a sense of reality hit Jenny. They weren't tom. And she had to get out. "tom" she cried we have to get out together"

"No" he said, "run for the door, ill hold them off and follow you" he said as they got closer, "No" Jenny said

"Jenny go, you have to get out " tom cried, just as Jenny moved the demon toms reached her.

Pushing at tom to get to her. Jenny put her hands in front of her, trying to push them away. She was still holding the glass shard. "Jenny go" tom cried as the struggle began in earnest. The distorted toms grabbed at tom, hitting him, shoving him out the way and Jenny screamed. All thoughts of leaving had fled. They had him captured in a headlock and Jenny ran to pull him out from behind. There was a brief tug-of-war before the demons let go and vanished. Jenny stumbled back with tom falling on top of her. There was a heart wrenching scream and Jenny froze. Her hands were in between her and tom and she still had the glass shard in her hand when they fell. Manoeuvring herself out from under tom. She looked at him. For a split second she thought everything was alright. Then she saw the broad edge of the shard sticking out of the back.

Time froze.

All Jenny could see was the shock in Tom's eyes. His mouth opened in surprise. He was still in Jenny's arms, half supported by her. She hadn't done that to Tom. She _hadn't. _"Tom" she whispered in disbelief. "Tom" shaking him, willing him to answer her. "TOM" she yelled, shaking him harder, panic and fear rising up. All she could see were his eyes, staring at her in shock and disbelief. "Tommy" she cried, tears pouring down her face. She knew she was hysterical, she shouldn't shake him, but she couldn't help it, couldn't help it, she needed him to answer her, to say something, _anything._

"Tom please", she pleaded "say something. I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to". Utter grief was engulfing her. She couldn't breathe anymore. "Tom" she said, as he slowly keeled sideward's out of her limp arms leaving Jenny to stare at her hands. They were covered in blood. Tom's blood. "No!" she cried, staring at her hands, wiping them roughly on the carpet to remove the stains. Fear gave her the strength to look at Tom. The shard was still sticking out of his back and tears were slowly running down his face. he was looking at her through half closed eyes.

"Jenny" he whispered. "I…" "Sshhh" she said, holding him close, "I'm sorry, please forgive me" she pleaded, "please, please."

She went to move him closer, meaning to remove the glass from his back, when he slowly dissolved in her hands. "No" she screamed out loud, looking around her wildly, staring at where tom should have been. She grabbed the carpet and screamed as wave after wave of guilt and anguish rocked her. She was completely hysterical, pounding the carpet with her hands, crying Tom's name. "I _HATE _YOU" she yelled, looking up at the ceiling, wishing Julian was there so she could stab him in the heart herself. As quick as it arose her fury subsided, and she lay down on the floor hugging an imaginary Tom as silent tears streamed down her face.


	13. Chapter 13

**Michael**

Michael opened his eyes slowly, blinking once or twice as his eyes adjusted to the dull room. He was in the living room of the condo he realised looking around the candle-lit room.

Standing up he ran a hand through his rumpled hair and sighed in abject misery. He had been sure that when Julian died it had been the end of everything supernatural in his life. He'd had about as enough as he could handle, thank you, and he wanted to keep living his normal, if slightly predictable life.

He had even stopped reading his dad's books, all the talk of super-natural paranoma had him laughing one minute and hysterical the next. If only his dad _really_ knew what was out there, he'd never write again. Michael had never bothered to enlighten him. Not that it mattered anyway; his Dad was never around long enough to give Michael time to tell him.

He plodded slowly over to the door, his movements slow and lethargic; he _really_ didn't want to do this. Besides, did it really matter if he faced _any_ of his nightmares? Jenny was the one that had to win to save them all, he could technically just sit here and do nothing.

Michael was a self confessed coward. He knew he was and felt no shame in admitting it. Some men might have thought it a blow to their masculinity, but Michael had no such qualms, better safe than sorry. And being brave had a tendency to result in "sorry"more often than not; Michael wanted to avoid that if he could. Still, staying here would be even lower than his usual cowardly stance, and seeing as that was _low_ enough, he really couldn't stay here. Sighing again he placed one dimpled hand onto the handle and pulled the door open.

He looked out carefully, the hallway was long, leading down as far as the eye could see. "A leopard never changes its' spots" he grumbled as he slowly began walking down the length of the hall. Michael wondered how Jenny was doing. Had she won all her nightmares? If she lost would they know it? Would they all automatically die?

He gulped nervously. Thinking this way already would not help. He needed to be some way composed if he was going to get anywhere in these nightmares. "Pull yourself together" he heard Audrey's voice scolding in his mind. And it helped. Audrey had a way of bringing out the best in him, her no nonsense approach was exactly what he needed. And he had let her go. His stupid pride stopping him from going back to Audrey. Her mother be damned.

He hated fighting with her, hated it. But his wounded ego had stopped him from telling her he wanted her back. When they had split up before going to college he thought he had been doing the right thing. Giving themselves time to grow as individuals. But one semester in and he knew he was falling apart without her. And Audrey had felt the same, he knew she still loved him. When she had been flirting with Jack over the summer, Michael knew it was for his benefit, she had been trying to get a rise out of him. But Michael knew Jack wouldn't do anything, he had told him all about Audrey, exactly how he felt about her and he knew the flirting was harmless. And Jack had been – Great. Michael finally had some family to talk to. Well, he _thought _he had family.

Michael groaned inwardly now, thinking of all the things he'd told "Jack". All about him and Audrey, the gang, what they were all doing. And jack had sat and listened, Michael had thought it was great how _interested _he was. Well, now he knew. Stupid bastard was using it all to his advantage now.

He felt a burning inside him, something he had never felt before in his life. Pure undiluted rage; Rage at having been used and being taken for a fool _again_. Rage at himself for having believed that he had family who _cared._ Rage at having the one thing he wanted most in the world, dangled in front of him and then cruelly ripped away. If Julian was here now he would have attacked him. He probably wouldn't have gotten very far, but _hell_ it would have felt good trying.

Michael knew it was a rare thing he was feeling, he had never felt anger this strong before and it gave him a sense of confidence. He was going to use this. He would build on it and let it out on whatever he was going to face in his nightmares. "_L'amener"_, he said, using one of Audrey's phrases. _Bring it on._

He had been walking for about twenty minutes when he finally came across another door. "Finally" he said nervously, hesitating before placing his hand on the cold brass handle. Pushing it open he felt a cool breeze waft over him, bringing with it the smell of crushed pine needles, and he slowly walked in, letting the door shut behind him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 13**

She didn't know how long she had been lying there. Her tears had dried, and her eyes felt swollen and tired, but she didn't want to move. All she could see was the shock in Tom's eyes as the scene replayed itself over and over. She knew she had to move. Julian had said that no one died until the game was over, so she had to get up, for Toms sake. But her body didn't want to move. Both her arms and legs felt like dead weights, rooting her to the place where she killed Tom.

The shadows darkened in the room, and she knew without looking that it was Julian. Slowly, she raised herself up to her knees and turned to look at him. He was leaning against the table, his expression unreadable as he studied her. Jenny stared back at him, grief and anger repressing any fear she may have felt.

"Did you enjoy that?" she said angrily, tears welling up in her eyes again. "Have _fun_ watching that?" her voice was shaking as she trembled all over in rage. She wished she had the stave of life so she could cut him out as viciously as he had made her kill Tom. And she knew she wouldn't regret that one bit.

"Watching you cry has never been particularly enjoyable" he replied soberly, his eyes still studying her.

"Shut up" she cried. She wanted to lunge at him, wished she had the dagger still so she could stab him with it and make him feel the pain that was clawing her inside.

"_You're _the one who made me cry so _you_ should be happy. Must have been _so_ satisfying for you making me stab Tom wasn't it?" she smirked.

"I didn't make you stab Tom" he replied coldly. "It was your fear that did that. I had nothing to do with it."

Jenny laughed incredulously. "Nothing to do with it huh? Then what do you call this game? Something I dreamt up?"

"I gave you a choice. You're the one who chose to involve everyone else. Don't blame me for your decision."

Jenny knew he was right and accepted the responsibility. It was her fault, all of it was her fault. But she still had time to make it right. She looked at him straight in the eyes as she stood up. "You're right its my fault. And now _I've_ got a game to win so why don't you get _lost_ so I can get on with it."

She shouldn't have said that, she realised too late. She could see the venom rise in his eyes and flinched at its ferocity. Deliberately he began to move towards her, raw energy emanating from his body. Jenny wanted to turn and run but she didn't. Defiance was making her stay where she was. What did it matter what he did to her now anyway? And besides there wasn't really anywhere she could run too.

He was right in front of her now and unwittingly she took a step backwards, her body responding to a fear that her mind wasn't registering. She still hadn't taken her eyes from him, but with every step forward he took, she moved backwards until finally she backed up against a wall. Her stomach lurched as she finally comprehended what she'd done, challenging Julian this early in the game was never a good idea but she had done it anyway. He placed his hands on either side of her, locking her in against the wall. The fury in his eyes was so intense that she couldn't meet his gaze anymore and she lowered her eyes, looking at the floor. How was she going to get out of this one? _Well done Thornton, _she thought sardonically, _good luck figuring this one out._

Julian slowly raised one hand and weaved it through her hair, coiling it around his fingers until he jerked her head up to look at him. Jenny stared at him in surprise, terror coursing through her veins. Julian's touch had always been soft before, seductive in nature, but this was different. There was a brutal savagery in the way he had her cornered, almost like he wanted to hurt her. She had never felt like his prey before as intensely as she did right now. Sensing her alarm he smiled viciously and taking his other hand clasped her wrist, hard enough to bruise, and trapped her arm above her head.

Jenny's breath was coming in hitches now, she couldn't move and couldn't look away. She was stupid, _stupid_ to have taunted him. Amused at her fear he looked at her, eyes lingering on her lips before abruptly lifting her head and kissing her. A hard kiss. His mouth pressed down on hers violently, smothering her, cutting of her air supply. She was completely under his control, unable to resist his demanding mouth. She knew she was returning the kiss and tried vainly to struggle but it was no use, he had her held too tightly. she was going to faint, she knew it. she could feel her knees buckle, and saw the spots dance before her eyes even though they were shut tight.

He let her go as suddenly as he had grabbed her, and Jenny slumped to the floor. Her head was thumping loudly and her chest hurt as she drew in air. When she looked up again, Julian had gone. He had changed from last time. She had felt it the moment he had seen her and Tom together. There was something more _brutal_ about Julian. Perhaps it was because he was just reborn. Ha! Jenny thought distractedly, he's a newborn! But the more she thought about it, the less funny it became. The one thing all children had in common was how to get what they wanted – regardless of how they got it. _Don't annoy him again Thornton_.


	15. Chapter 15

**Audrey**

Audrey paused, flicking her manicured nails in a rare display of nervousness. Of course there was no one to see so what did it matter she thought, reasoning with herself. She pressed her lips together, took one more deep breath and then pushed open the door, sending a silent prayer heavenwards to help her.

She found herself on high ground; a cool breeze blew, bringing with it the smell of pine trees and approaching winter, with a subtle spicy scent of berries. She was back in the Black Forest. Groaning audibly Audrey began to move towards the forest. She knew the drill, knew what was expected of her now. She just wondered which of her fears she was going to face now. There were so many stories that had evolved from the black forest, she had to thank the Brothers Grimm for that. It was their fault she was here, well, theirs and her German nanny's she thought disgruntled.

She struggled through the thicket and tried not to think of all the fairytales she'd heard, she didn't want a repeat appearance of the wolf thank you. It was so dark here, in the centre of the forest. The moon that shone barely filtered through the thick leaves. Catching her foot on a root, Audrey stumbled and fell forward, breaking her fall with her hands.

"Damn it" she swore, as she picked herself up and brushed the dirt of her jeans. "These were designer."

Not that she really cared. Sure she loved her fashion, the cut and design of well tailored clothes. She was in awe of the passion that only _true _designers possessed, their flair and creativity rendered into each stitch, creating a piece of art that only few deserved to wear, but which, thanks to mass production, everyone had. Yes she loved being immaculately groomed, but it wasn't her life, it was only her front; the Audrey she displayed to the world. She rarely let others glimpse underneath. Too many years of constant moving and displacement to thank for that. The only people to ever have seen underneath her façade were Michael and the rest of the group. And even that was on rare occasions.

God she missed Michael, missed his sarcasm and witty one-liners. He was the perfect match for her; she knew that; he was as muddled as she was composed, as vague as she was succinct and as clumsy as she was elegant. The perfect yang to her yin. And thanks to her mother, she had lost him.

That horrific weekend flashed through her eyes. her mother sitting at the head of the table, shooting abrasive questions to Michael, her voice dripping with disdain. Her father just sitting there, ignoring his wife, a habit he had developed after a life time of nagging. And Audrey had sat there, shooting daggers at her mother, willing her to just _Shut-Up._ Then Michael, to Audrey's surprise, had actually stood up for himself and had told her mother where to go. Audrey had to bite her lip to stop herself from smiling. Then she had run after him, only to hear him say it wasn't going to work. And since then… well, not even flirting with other guys in front of him had worked.

And now here she was in stumbling through the Black Forest, fighting for her life and all she wanted was Michael. God damn Julian she thought, as she stumbled on another root, almost twisting her ankle. Why did he have to use Michael as a way into the group. He had been so excited to finally have family that cared about him, and then Julian took that away too.

Finally up ahead, Audrey could see the trees beginning to thin out, she picked up her pace and made it into a large clearing, much like the one in the first game. The moon shone down brightly onto the clear space and thankfully Audrey was able to see her surroundings. There was no large rock this time, no men making sacrifices, which Audrey thought was a good sign. But she was filled with apprehension all the same. Any minute now her real nightmare was about to begin. That was the way this game worked. It led you right where it wanted you to go, lulling you into a false sense of security, then it sprung its trap.

Suddenly Audrey stiffened, her ears pricked, listening. She heard it again, a branch snapping behind her and adrenalin rushed in, causing her to move and hide. Crouching behind a tree on the opposite side of the clearing, Audrey watched carefully to see what it was that approached.

Someone stumbled into the clearing, muttering to themselves as they looked around the clearing. Audreys heart leaped, it was Michael. She almost rushed out then, but she kept her self still. She had to be sure it was actually Michael, Julian _had_ said it could all be an illusion. And Audrey was no fool, it was almost too coincidental that the one person she wanted just happened to turn up in her nightmare.

The Michael in the clearing was walking around, gauging his surroundings and muttering to himself. Audrey could just about make it out, and she smiled to herself, such a Michael thing to say, cursing Julian and complaining. She moved slowly out from behind the tree, walking towards Michael.

"Michael?", she said hesitantly, as he whirled towards her, face set in fear before he saw who it was. "Audrey" he breathed, "Are you, like, you?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" she said amused. "Are you?"

"Well I'm Michael and you're Audrey and we're all part of the generation baby boom, so lets leave it at that."

Now she knew it was definitely Michael, Audrey thought, smiling.

"So who's nightmare is this?"

"I think its mine" Audrey replied, "Black forest and all"

"I see" Michael said nodding, "Do you know what's supposed to happen?"

"Honestly" Audrey replied looking around her, "I don't know. I mean the first time there was the erlking, but this time, I don't know, there's nothing in this clearing to tell me."

"Great" Michael said disdainfully, leaning against a tree and slipping down till he was sitting at its base, "So I take it we just wait and see what happens?"

"Do _you_ have any better ideas?" Audrey said cuttingly, then she stopped, she did _not _want to get in another fight now. "Michael" she began, sitting down cross-legged in front of him, "Can we talk about that weekend? I know mother can be- "

"Drop it Audrey" Michael said bitterly, his voice low. "I don't want to talk about it" "

Come on Michael, we need to sort this through, I've said sorry a thousand times, I cant help what mother says, what more do you _want?_" She couldn't help her voice rising, she was almost in tears now, why wouldn't he just_ listen?_

"What I want Audrey, is for you to just drop it, I don't care about your mother or _you_ anymore." He stood abruptly and started pacing the clearing. "You want to know something Audrey?" he said coming to a stop, standing over her.

"What?" she said icily, standing up to face him.

"I never actually cared about you at all. Never. I was only with you because-" he stopped.

"Because what?" Audrey bit out.

"Because I couldn't be with Jenny" he continued in a rush. "I never wanted to be with _you,_ but I could never be with Jenny either because she was with Tom, so I had to make do with you, the only way I could stand being around her was to distract myself with _you."_

Audrey's heart clenched as tears, unbidden, slipped from her eyes. Her mind was whispering to her, warning her about something, but she was too focused on what Michael was saying to take notice.

"She's everything you're not, you know that don't you Audrey?" Michael continued, his voice harsh, as Audrey just stared, "She's sweet and kind and gentle, not a pretentious little cow like _you."_

Audrey's mind was still screaming at her, drumming something in her head, _not Michael, not Michael._

"You're not Michael" she said suddenly, gasping in shock, moving backwards, away from him. Michael laughed loudly, sniggering at her,

"Is that your way of saying you don't believe me? Even here you're too proud to understand what I'm saying." He moved towards her again, "I _am_ Michael, don't believe it if you don't want, but believe this, I _wont_ make the same mistake your father did. Marrying women like your mother, cold, conceited mannequins. Is there anything under that painted face of yours?"

"Shut up" Audrey cried, she knew this was her nightmare now, her three biggest fears in one. Michael was walking closer and closer to her now, still sniggering at her. She stumbled back against the tree and Michael moved in front of her again.

"You're going to end up exactly like your mother" he said moving his left hand forward as he spoke and Audrey felt a sharp excruciating pain shoot through her. She looked down in horror.

There was a knife stuck in her stomach. Michael had stabbed her.

She watched as a dribble of blood began to ooze through her white cashmere jumper, and dropped to the ground, as red as the berries on the yule trees around her. Slowly she slid to the ground as the person who was "Michael" moved to the edge of the clearing and disappeared into its dark depths, leaving her alone in moon-lit grove.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 14**

Taking one last look around the room Jenny opened the door and walked back into the hall. The door disappeared behind her, like a perfect vanishing act. Glancing down at her watch, she realised with a jolt that it was already 3 pm. _How long had she spent in there?_

Jenny walked quickly down the hallway searching for another door. There was a hurried panic to her actions. There were six rooms left and Jenny knew the rooms were going to get harder. She would have to spend more time figuring them out. She had already wasted precious time by panicking and feeling sorry for herself, but no more. Jenny was determined. She had already lost Tom and now she needed to well _pull_ herself together. She would be like Dee. Strong. She would be her only master. Something tugged at Jenny's mind and she looked down at her hand. Her ring had gone. _Damn it_, Jenny swore. She knew it was Julian's ring but in some way it had become part of her. Jenny had depended on it during the years to help her through. Like a talisman. And now Julian had taken that too. To what avail she didn't know but when she won the game Jenny would make herself a new ring. She didn't need that one anymore.

Jenny's face was grim. She had walked for what felt like a mile and still hadn't come across any door. And time was ticking by fast. Frustrated, Jenny stopped to rest. She wondered how the rest were doing. How many nightmares had they faced? Had they won any? Had they lost? Jenny sighed. Maybe if she willed a door to appear… Nothing happened. Getting up, she trudged on. Mercifully a door appeared just ahead of her and Jenny walked up to it, heart trembling. Steeling herself, Jenny turned the knob slowly and walked in.

She found herself in an open desert plain. A long dusty road stretched into the distance and cacti grew sporadically along the edges and off into the distance. Jenny's first conscious thought was that it was achingly _hot._ Already her clothes were sticking to her and she felt the familiar light headed feeling she got when she was overly hot. The second was the vastness. The desert stretched into the distance and the horizon rippled with the heat waves. Jenny's mind thundered a blank. What on earth was she supposed to be scared off in a desert? Peeling of her jumper, Jenny tied it around her waist and began to walk down the road. Already her tongue was sticking to her mouth and the light wind bought nothing but dry heat with it.

After walking for about five minutes Jenny felt like she was about to faint. The heat was searing and her legs felt like jelly. She was just about to sit down when a great shudder went through the ground. Jenny was almost knocked off her feet and she looked around in terror. If it was an earthquake she didn't even have anywhere to hide. The ground rocked again and a primitive warning rang in Jenny's mind. She needed somewhere to shelter, anywhere, even a boulder would do. Gathering all of her energy Jenny started jogging back towards where she thought she had entered.

The ground lurched again and this time Jenny staggered and fell forwards, putting her hands out just in time, to prevent her hitting the ground face first. Jenny pulled herself into a hunched sitting position, balancing her weight on her feet, and stared around her like a hunter. The position enabled her to move quickly if needed. She glanced down at her palms. They were grazed from the fall and covered in gritty sand. Wincing, Jenny tried to remove the sand from her palms. She looked around her again carefully, judging the situation and trying to remember where the door had been.

There was something about the landscape that stirred Jenny's memory. It was like the Nevada desert she realised with a jolt. Jenny had only ever been once to the Nevada desert on a school trip in 12th grade. They had gone to see the grand canyon as part of their geography course. Jenny had been thrilled to see the canyon, that was until she realised how deep the canyon fell. Jenny's fear of heights had made her so dizzy that she had run back to the school bus and refused to come out. That's when Michael had started taunting her about the big snake that lived in the desert. The graboids Jenny muttered nervously. A week before they had gone on a trip, Tom, Dee, Michael and Jenny had rented out the movie called "tremors" that had been based in Colorado, close to the Nevada desert. It had featured an underground monster that attacked people from beneath the ground. Although the movie had been bad, Jenny had been petrified. She'd had nightmares for weeks about the graboids that sucked people to death. They had moved with ferocious speed under the ground and at first the townspeople had thought that it was earthquakes that was killing people.

Jenny's heart thumped. Earthquakes. The kind she was experiencing now. "Oh god" she thought feeling sick with fear. That's what was after her and Jenny had no way to protect herself. In the movie it had taken bombs to finish off the graboids. All Jenny had was rocks. A rumble started up again and this time Jenny could see the earth split as the graboid moved. In a straight line. Headed towards Jenny.

Using her left foot as leverage, Jenny propelled herself of her feet towards the left and started running. The graboid changed direction with surprising accuracy and chased after her, tearing up the earth in its wake. It was right underneath her and desperately Jenny threw herself to the right just as it burst out from the ground. She fell with no way to protect herself and her arms and legs scraped on the gritty earth. A large boulder had stopped her rolling and Jenny's leg throbbed from where she had hit it against the hard stone.

All Jenny could do was stare at the monster that was in front of her. It was like a giant earthworm, pinky-beige in colour. As Jenny stared on in horror, three tubular appendages shot out of the creature's mouth, like giant arms, searching for her. It was the most grotesque thing Jenny had seen and she couldn't move for fear of alerting the creature to her position. Jenny could feel her stomach turn. She felt sick. The heat of the desert combined with exertion and fear was making her stomach heave. The graboid disappeared underground again and Jenny breathed in deeply. It could burst out of anywhere and its speed was frightening. Jenny didn't know what to do. There was no way out. She had no way to defend herself, no weapons and she was already exhausted and hurt. The large scrapes on her arm were deep and a few had cracked to reveal blood which had mixed with the sand and grit on her arms, turning sticky and brown. Jenny felt like she was back in the olden days. Before the advent of weaponry and machines, when man had to defend himself against threats using only his own skill and mastery.

Then Jenny had it. The graboid could sense when she moved. The last few times the ground had rumbled when she was moving. She had to create a distraction somehow. Slowly moving, Jenny pulled herself back into her crouched hunter position, scanning her surroundings with clear and precise accuracy. To her left the tarmac road ran off into the distance in meandering curves. To her right the sandy plains stretched out dotted with cacti and boulders, and about 50 meters behind her, Jenny realized with a great jolt, was a door. She would have to make a run for it and almost as if sensing her thoughts the ground rumbled warningly.

There was a large rock beside Jenny, roughly the size of a human head and carefully Jenny picked it up. She thought for a few moments and then gingerly scraped a bit of her dried blood on to the rock. A sacrificial offering, that Jenny hoped would distract the creature long enough to give her time to reach the door. Pulling herself slowly into a standing position, Jenny bent one leg against the boulder and leaning back heavily she stretched her right arm back as far as she could and propelled the rock out towards the road, like a shot-putt.

The moment the rock hit the ground, the ground shook as the graboid tunnelled its way towards it. Jenny didn't stop to look. The moment she felt the ground move she leapt in the direction of the door and ran as fast as she could. She heard the ground explode behind her and Jenny risked a look. The graboid had reached the rock and was now flexing its arms in each direction, searching for her. Jenny turned and ran faster, it would be seconds before it started after her and she was so close to the door, so close.

Her breath was coming in hitches and her chest hurt, nearly there. the ground shook violently behind her. It was after her. Putting in one last burst of speed Jenny lunged towards the door and pulled the handle. The door swung open and Jenny fell through into the hallway just as the graboid burst out of the ground again. She had one last terrifying look into its obscene head before the door swung shut in front of her face, casting one last wave of hot air.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 15**

Jenny lay sprawled on the floor in the hall, letting the coolness seep into her bones. Her entire body ached and the gashes on her arms and legs began to sting as they became accustomed to the cold air. Jenny desperately wished she had some water. Her entire mouth was dry and her lips felt swollen, she felt dehydrated. Gingerly Jenny pulled herself into a sitting position, wincing at the pain it brought her. She leaned her back against the cold wall and shut her eyes. she was so tired and all she wanted was water.

There was a subtle change in the air around her and alarmed Jenny opened her eyes. Julian was standing in front of her.

"Here" he said hunching down beside her and handing her a silver chalice.

"what is it" she said thickly, her words muffled as she spoke through her dry mouth. "water" Julian said , and Jenny looked up at him warily. Hesitantly Jenny took the chalice form his hand, then looked up at him again.

Sighing, Julian said "its not poisoned you know." Jenny just looked, then slowly, she took a sip. It was wonderful. Cool and refreshing and surprisingly sweet. Jenny gulped it down, relishing the flavour, her body welcoming the relief it bought. The chalice seemed to be never-ending, supplying Jenny with water till she was satisfied. When she looked up to say thank you Julian had gone.

Jenny sighed, it was infuriating how he did that. And he was so… _exasperating_. She could never figure him out. He would send her to a desert, pit her against a monster and just when she thought she hated him he would come with something as simple as water and send her feelings into a spin again. He was such a chameleon, threatening one minute and as gentle as rain the next. He did care about her, Jenny knew that, but it was in such a violent way that it usually seemed to leave her half-dead.

Sighing Jenny got up. Pouring some of the water in her hands she quickly rinsed her face and arms, cleaning it off the desert sand. Looking at the chalice, Jenny saw that it was beautifully crafted with elegant etchings of roses and lilies surrounding the base. Trust Julian, she thought as she placed the chalice on the floor, he could create beauty in the simplest of things, his attention to detail astounding. He was like an artist in a way. Jenny thought, creating the most elaborate sets for games she had ever seen. And, Jenny thought with a wry smile, he certainly had the moody, inverted personality bit of an artist down. Julian was so introverted. He didn't trust anybody. Had to try to force them to be with him. Had to try and force Jenny to love him. With little wonder really, Jenny thought sadly, with ancestors like his, there was no other way he could be.

Jenny wandered the endless hallway for about fifteen minutes before she came across another door. She felt the ritual stomach drop she got as she prepared herself for another gruelling battle with her mind. Two down, five more to go.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 16**

Pushing open the door, Jenny found herself looking into a dimly lit theatre. Rows of benches led down to the centre of the theatre in stepped intervals. A screen at the back of the podium showed the words "History 101." It was a college lecture theatre. A number of students had started to file in through the double doors situated at the bottom of the theatre, filing into benches in twos or threes. None of them glanced at Jenny.

Jenny still had the door to the hallway held in her hand and, taking a deep breath, she shut it behind her and sat at one of the benches towards the back. The lecture hall was nearly full now and a distinguished looking man, that Jenny presumed was the lecturer was making his way up towards the podium. Clipping on his Jacket microphone the lecturer cleared his throat and said "Good Afternoon Class." Immediately silence fell as the students stopped talking amongst themselves to give him their full attention. "Today we will be looking at famous dictators of the world, and the methods employed by them in obtaining power." A flurry of activity proceeded the announcement as the students took out paper and readied pens and notes.

Through the activity Jenny heard a creak of the door and looking behind her she saw that a door had appeared where she entered. Her heart thumped in warning. Was it going to be like last time? Entering through the door was Dee and Jenny relaxed a little. Dee hadn't spotted her and was looking around the lecture hall in amazement. The red jumper Dee had been wearing was stained and ripped. Dee herself looked like she had a swollen lip. Without really knowing how, Jenny knew this was the real Dee, just like she had known the real Tom when he had come in, in her first fear. Waving her hand she caught Dees' attention. Dee looked at her calculatedly before sliding in on the bench beside her.

"What's my mother's middle name" she said.

"Angela" Jenny whispered giving her a small smile.

Instinctively she knew Dee knew she was the real Jenny as well, otherwise Dee would have never come and sat next to her.

"What happened to you" Jenny whispered concerned. Up close Dees injuries looked more severe. Her lip was split and a small bruise had formed on her cheek.

"Oh just a couple of run-ins with armed kung fu trainers!" Dee replied with half a smile. "How are you?" She asked Jenny.

"Surviving" Jenny said softly. "Got through two nightmares so far. You?"

"three" Dee replied, "Its slow going. I wonder how the rest are getting along."

"Yeah" Jenny replied slowly, guilt bubbling up inside as she thought about Tom. Just as she was about to tell Dee, she asked, "So who's nightmare is this?"

"Err, I think its mine" Jenny replied looking back down at the podium. The projection screen at the back still had the words History 101 on it and Dee looked at Jenny incredulously.

"You're scared of a history lecture?" Dee snorted. "Trust you sunshine!" "I'm not" Jenny said laughing along with her. "I don't know what its about, but either way I'm glad! My last nightmare was out in the Desert."

"The desert?" Dee asked surprised.

"Yeah" Jenny replied embarrassed. "I had to get away from graboid"

"A Graboid" Dee repeated slowly, scratching her neck, then realisation hit, "Jenny not those monsters from tremors?!" when Jenny hung her head in mock embarrassment, Dee sniggered openly.

"Stop it!" Jenny laughed, hitting Dee on the arm. "It was really hard you know!", "Yeah I can see" Dee said soberly. "Look at your hands." "Oh they're fine now" Jenny said looking down at them.

"OK so what do we have to do in this one" Dee said looking back down at the podium. "I don't know" Jenny replied, "What's the lecture about?"

"Maybe we should pay attention Jenny, hey what if that is your nightmare? Staying awake through a history lecture?"

"Shhh!" Jenny said, lets just figure out what he's lecturing about anyway."

"Right class," the lecturer was saying, "I'm now going to show you a short documentary on some of the methods used in obtaining power. Hitler as you know used the concentration camps and the gas chambers. The Khmer rouge used to shoot in masses, those that they considered intelligent "Bourgeoisies." This film should enlighten you on the methods employed so pay close attention as it will form part of your end of year assignment." Jenny was now intrigued. A part of her was waiting for something to happen- this was too, well, _normal. _

The professor had now inserted a film reel into the projector and slowly dimmed all the lights in the hall so that they were in suddenly swathed in black. The film started up just like the olden day movies, with the screen showing 5, 4, 3,2,1, in flickering screen shots, before the film started. Silently Jenny and Dee watched. "The world" the narrator announced, "Has experienced many leaders. Some ushered in an era of goodness and economy, others violence and revolutions. Others, yet, bought with them a wave of terror unprecedented in nature and unmatched in cruelty. Today we celebrate the leaders who committed the worst genocides of the twentieth century."

Jenny looked at Dee startled, "Celebrate?" she whispered, as Dee shrugged, looking confused.

"In 1935" the film continued, "Adolf Hitler became the leader of Germany, known by his people as the, "Fuhrer". During a reign which lasted from 1935 to 1945, Hitler established a form of fascist dictatorship which culminated in the death of 6 million Jews and subsequently, Hitler himself."

The film now showed clips of Hitler coming into power and Jenny watched fascinated. She knew about world war two and the holocaust and had always wondered how anyone could have committed such crimes in such a cruel and calculated way. She watched on in horror as the screen cut to scenes of Jewish massacres. A line of men against a wall were shot in open gunfire. A young child in tears as her hair was cruelly shaved off. A group of people in grey suits being sent into a large stone chamber. the narration started up again. "Hitler's treatment towards the Jewish race sprung from his ideology of Racial Hygiene, whereby he believed that the German race needed to be cleansed by those that were unpure. Racial cleansing was practised on those with mental and physical disabilities and during the period of his reign many infants with genetic disabilities were disposed off under the pretence of medical research. This action was later extended to grown adults who were killed to ensure purity of race."

The film then depicted more scenes of human atrocities and then cut to an African leader. "General Idi Amin" The narrator resumed, "Was the third president of Uganda, renowned for being the most bloody. During his reign an estimated 300,000 people are thought to have been murdered, their bodies unceremoniously dumped in the Nile, at one point allegedly blocking the Owen-Falls Hydroelectric dam in Jinga." The documentary continued, highlighting specific scenes from Idi Amin's life but it was when the shot of his mutilated wife was shown that Jenny first felt her stomach turn. Unconsciously she put her head down blocking the view from her sight.

"This is sick" Dee breathed from beside her. "Really sick. I Can see why you hate history."

"What did you say?" Jenny jerked her head up to look at Dee.

"I said I can see why you hate h- oh." Dee said as realisation struck. "Guess this part is your nightmare so sunshine, so what do we do?" "I don't know" Jenny muttered, still refusing to look at the screen. The film was getting more gruesome by the minute, showing people being shot in close up. When Jenny looked up an old man was getting his hand dipped in acid by a member of the Khmer Rouge in Vietnam. "Oh God" Jenny said dry retching. "Maybe you're supposed to watch it Jenny?" Dee said uncertainly, unable to watch it herself, "Maybe that's your fear?" at that point the film jerked and stopped. "Oh that's a pity" the lecturer said walking up towards the podium. A light flicked on bathing the podium in an orange glow as he tried to fix the projector. "Nope not working class, sorry about that. I guess ill have to continue from my notes."

Jenny let out a sigh of relief, looking at Dee. But Dee looked worried. "If that's not how we beat your fear Jenny, then what is?" "Oh" Jenny said surprised, "Maybe I passed it? Can you see a door anywhere?" Dee looked sceptical.

"Okay" the lecturer continued, taking of his glasses and polishing them with a clean handkerchief. "I'm going to need a volunteer in order to continue the lesson. Anyone? Oh yes you there, well up here if you please." He said to a girl in the front row. Slowly she walked up to the podium. She was small, around Summers height and had wavy blond hair that stopped at her shoulders. She was wearing a pristine white shirt and black trousers. The same type as everyone else, Jenny realised slowly. She saw that Dee had noticed too.

"Okay" The professor began again, and Jenny turned to look, riveted. "Thank you molly for volunteering, it will not go unnoticed. Now" he said addressing the class, "We were at the Khmer Rouge, yes, the Khmer Rouge were noted particularly for torture methods used on their victims. Often they would kidnap highly educated people and accuse them of having alliances with opposition parties. When they denied it torture methods, often ingenious, were used to break them into admission. Now molly" He said turning to the girl, "I'm going to show you all a classic torture scene performed by the Khmer Rouge" Taking his glasses of again he folded them and put them into his shirt breast pocket, before pulling out what looked like a silver tin opener from his briefcase. It was the kind that fit around the lid of the tin, slicing the top away.

Jenny felt a jolt of apprehension. "Dee" she whispered slowly, as the lecturer made his way towards the sitting girl. Jenny had a bad feeling about it in the pit of her stomach. Moving behind the girl, the professor grabbed her hair and pulled her head back, holding the tin opener in his free hand. "Tell me" he yelled at her violently, what connections do you have with the opposition?" "None." The girl cried, trying to pull her hair free, "I don't know what you're talking about." "Liar" the professor hissed, "Maybe this will remind you." Grabbing the girls hand he pulled one finger out and placed the tin opener around it. Jenny watched in horrified silence. Her brain was screaming a dull warning at her and her hand were clenched tightly on the table in front of her. Without warning the professor pulled together the handles of the tin opener and the girl screamed as her finger fell off her hand.

Jenny's heart stopped. Without realising it, she had stood up and was screaming, loudly. She could feel Dee trying to pull her down but Jenny couldn't move her eyes from the podium. The girl had stopped screaming now but was emitting small moaning noises as the lecturer prowled around her. "Now" he said roughly, "Tell me what you know" "Nothing" the girl sobbed "I know nothing" the professor then grabbed her other hand and repeated the same action. Jenny couldn't help herself. There was a screaming inside of her. "Jenny shhhh" Dee said beside her urgently, trying to shield her from the view, "look at me, this isn't real this is just your nightmare okay? But we don't want to draw attention to ourselves." "Why aren't they doing anything?" Jenny asked hysterically as she looked at the other students. To her horror she saw many of them were taking notes. One or two had even moved closer to the podium to take pictures.

The lecturer had finished with the girl and had resumed his teaching. "Now" he said, "I'm going to need another volunteer, how about you, the girl in the back there" he said pointing at Jenny. Jenny didn't answer and shrunk back in her seat. She could feel Dee tense up beside her. "Miss at the back if you please, you're delaying the lecture." Jenny didn't move. The rest of the class had turned to look up at her. And then without warning they got up as a group and moved towards her and Dee, with the lecturer in the lead. "if you refuse to come down I can proceed the lecture from here miss." Up close the lecturer looked psychotic, his white shirt was covered in splatters of blood and his eyes were unblinking, fixed on Jenny.

He reached into his suit Jacked pulling out a pair of pliers. Jenny and Dee were now completely surrounded by a tight ring of students, all watching expressionless. As the lecturer moved forward Dee jumped in front of Jenny. "Not a chance specs" she said blocking his attempt to reach her. Without warning the group surged forward pulling Dee away from Jenny and trapping her in a tight circle. Dee fought against them as the lecturer advanced on Jenny. Before she knew it the lecturer had her hand and she almost lost her head just then screaming, when Dee broke free and kicked the lecturers hand away from Jenny. Dee grabbed her by the waist and they propelled themselves through the ring of students towards the bottom of the theatre.

"Jenny there" Dee cried "A door" Jenny looked to her side and stumbled, tripping down the steps towards the bottom, twisting her leg underneath her.

Without giving her time to breathe Dee grabbed her and half carried her across the room to the door, reaching it just as the first of the students caught up with them. flinging open the door Dee threw Jenny through, slamming it shut behind her in the lecturers face.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summer**

She was surrounded by a maze of mirrors. They were tall, dwarfing her with their immense height, casting her reflection, towering and distorted, back at her from all directions. Terrified Summer cowered beside a mirror. She didn't know where to go, which direction to take, or what this was all even about. She hadn't had nightmares about a hall of mirrors before, _ever._ This had been Zach's nightmare before, not hers.

Sighing she pushed her curls back from her face and took a deep ragged breath, trying to calm herself. Hesitantly she began to move forward. She stared at her reflection bearing down on her from all directions. Her blue eyes looked large, haunted, her skin pasty. She looked ill. Well, she thought, after what I've just been through, its little wonder. Her last nightmare had been, a shudder went through her, it didn't bear thinking about anymore.

A flicker to the side of her made her turn her head around rapidly. Summer looked hard, her eyes wide. There was nothing there but her reflection staring back at her. Still, a ripple of unease swept over her. She knew the nightmare was going to be worse than just her wandering in the mirrors, she just hoped that she was strong enough for whatever else she had to face in here.

Whatever happened Summer knew she had to survive. She wasn't going to give up and die in this game. Not like she had in the last one. It was almost a matter of pride. Summer had been the only one to fail in the last game, the only one that hadn't been strong enough to face their nightmare. No, like an idiot she had stood screaming in terror as her world fell apart around her. But she wasn't going to do that this time. She knew she didn't have the same strengths as the others. She wasn't a warrior like Dee, a commander like Audrey or even a protector like Jenny. She was just Summer Roberts. Plain and simple.

She knew the others thought that too. "Sun-Bunny" they called her, fluffy and defenceless. And Summer couldn't blame them, she certainly wasn't the most out-going of the group, but her previous experiences had toughened her up. When she had seen Cam after she returned, seen the look in his eyes and the pain he had endured, Summer knew she wasn't going to be the victim again. She never wanted to cause Cam so much hurt again.

And so she was going to try her hardest to make it through the game. No matter how much she wanted to give up. She hoped Jenny was doing okay. Summer knew it was going to be hardest on Jenny. She was so strong, had faced so much for them already, and now she had to do it all over again.

Jenny had told Summer about her drowning experience one night after they had come back from a society party in college. It had been held at the beach and a few guys had gotten really drunk and had gone for a midnight swim. Only the current had been really strong that night and they had been swept out, no one had been able to reach them. Luckily that night though, there was a beach patrol on and the boats had been close enough to reach the boys before they drowned. But Jenny had been more than just shaken after it and when they got back to their dorm she had told Summer about what had happened in Joyland Park.

Summer shivered in fear. She knew Julian was bad, but the other shadow men were worse. It was nothing short of miraculous that Jenny had escaped their clutches twice. No, she thought, correcting herself, it was thanks to Julian. He had saved Jenny the second time, had saved them all really.

Another flicker to the side caused Summer to jerk out of her thoughts. She most certainly hadn't imagined it this time. Scarcely breathing she turned around on one foot, keeping the other foot still as she pirouetted around, looking all around her. Trying to see what was stalking her through the maze. There was nothing there.

She began to walk faster now, picking up the pace with every second that passed and before she knew it she was running, her blond curls streaming behind her. What was it that the said about mazes? She thought as she turned another corner. Try to make it to the centre. The centre. They were always at North. Only problem with that was that Summer had no idea which way North was. She could only hope she was running in the right direction.

A yellow flicker bounded off the mirrors again and pure fear shot through Summer as she looked again to see what was there. She began running blindly again, turning the corner at breakneck speed. Suddenly there was a loud splintering sound behind her. Standing stock still Summer hardly dared to breathe. The splintering sound came again, and again, growing louder with each second. It was catching up with her. Slowly Summer looked around the corner she had just come from. It was the _mirrors_. It was the mirrors shattering, one by one, down the path she had run, blowing deadly shards in all directions as they followed her trail. The last of the blood drained from Summers lips as she turned and ran again with a trail of shattering glass following in her wake.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 17**

For a few minutes both lay on the floor catching their breath. Nausea was sweeping over Jenny in large chilling waves and she struggled to calm herself down. "oh god" she got out finally pulling herself into a sitting position. Dee was sitting with her long legs stretched out in front of her, her head leaning against the wall. She wasn't saying anything, which worried Jenny.

"You okay?" she asked hesitantly. Dee swallowed then looked at her.

"Yeah, that stuff is just – it makes me feel sick."

Jenny looked at her calculatedly for a minute. "Dee, was part of that your nightmare too?"

Dee looked back up at her thoughtfully, "You know, it could be. I've always hated the idea of torture. Makes you feel so helpless. And did you notice, they were all wearing the same clothes, like they were part of a cult or something."

"I didn't know you were scared of cults." Jenny said softly.

"I'm not scared" Dee retorted, then she said slowly, "Just you know, I don't like the idea of being led. Brainwashed." Jenny nodded, she understood.

"I think that means that are nightmares were combined in that one. Which means that you've faced 4 already Dee. You're nearly there."

"And more importantly" Dee said, " We can help each other through the next few, although you're on your own for the last one sunshine." Dee paused for a moment and then in one agile movement pulled herself to her feet. "Okay soldier" she said giving Jenny her hand, "upwards and onwards" and Jenny reluctantly took her hand and pulled herself up.

"How's your leg" Dee asked as they started walking down the hall. "Fine actually" Jenny said surprised. "I mustn't have twisted it that hard at all." "Good" Dee said, striding along purposefully, "which means we're going to fly through the next few. Easy." Jenny looked at her incredulously. "Okay not easy but we've gotten through so far. And I'm sure the rest are getting on fine too."

At that Jenny dropped her head. She hadn't told Dee about Tom yet, and a part of her didn't want to. She was afraid of what Dee would think of her.

"What?" Dee said, noticing Jenny's crestfallen appearance. Jenny hesitated then said, "Tom didn't make it, I uh- he died in the first nightmare, saving me. I killed him."

Tears filled her eyes and slowly trickled down her face as she told Dee. "Its not your fault Jenny" Dee said softly, placing a slender arm around Jenny after she had explained.

"It wasn't on purpose and I'm sure Tom knows that." Jenny shook her head, still crying, "You should have seen his eyes. he blames me, I know it." "No he doesn't" Dee said sternly, looking straight at Jenny and placing both her hands on Jenny's shoulders.

"Look Tom knew what he was doing when he came into save you. No matter what happens to the rest of us in the game _you're _the one that _has_ to survive. If tom died saving you then he's still saving himself because he's giving you a chance. If anything it gives you more of a reason to beat Julian than ever before. Okay?" she said giving Jenny a light shake.

Jenny nodded her head. Dee's words had been exactly what she needed to hear. She had been pitying herself instead of focusing on the game ahead, invariably letting Julian win without even trying. "Ok" Jenny said, drying her face with her hands "Lets go win this game."

"Atta girl" Dee said flashing her trademark wild smile and leading the way down the interminable hallway.

As they walked Dee filled Jenny in on her experiences. "You know how I feel about closed spaces, so the bastard made me go into a room where the walls kept moving in, until I had to either find a way out or get creamed."

"What?" Jenny gasped, shocked. "Yup, nearly made a human pancake out of me." "How'd you get out?" Jenny asked horrified.

"Well there was a gap between the start of the walls and the ceiling of about 2 feet, and there were grooves in the walls themselves, so when they walls were close enough" Dee said placing her hands about a foot apart, "I jammed my river knife into the 2 walls and used the grooves in the wall to climb up to the top towards the ceiling and the door was there."

"Good thing you had your knife then"

"Yup, although it snapped just as I reached the top so no chance of getting it back." Just then they came across a new door. "Right sunshine!", Dee said grinning like a barbarian, "Ready?!".

No, Jenny thought as Dee flung open the door and walked in behind her.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 18**

The door vanished as soon as they entered, leaving Jenny and Dee on what felt like a flat plain covered in thick mist. The mist stretched into the distance and surrounded Jenny, obscuring her vision. It was very cold. Jenny could see her breath in front of her. It was an odd feeling not knowing what they were walking on and where they were heading, but slowly Jenny and Dee inched forwards, holding each other hands. About a 100 yards ahead the mist thinned and Jenny could finally see what they were standing on.

Her head reeled. They were on a high cliff that dropped sharply on either side into a never ending abyss. The path that Dee and Jenny were on narrowed as it went forward, leaving space ahead for two people to walk side by side only. It was a miracle that her and Dee hadn't fallen of the sides already, but something, instinct probably, had made them walk straight, close to each other. Right now the only thing that kept Jenny from stumbling was Dee's strong arm supporting her. "Okay Jenny" Dee said calmly, this part is definitely your fear. But look, it gets broader over the far side, so we just have to make it across this bit and we'll be fine okay." "Okay Jenny said trembling. She was so cold her teeth were chattering. But she gripped Dee's arms firmly and put one foot forward. "Okay now the other one" Dee said gently, but commandingly.

Slowly they inched their way forwards stopping at intervals to catch their breath. They were so high up that the altitude made it hard to breathe and Jenny's lungs ached with the effort. They were nearing what looked like the halfway point when the ground lurched- just slightly. Jenny almost thought she had imagined it till she looked around, and then her head reeled. The centre of the cliff had split away from the edges, breaking into small islands, about 3 feet by 3 feet in size. Each had separated from each other so that they looked like tiny stepping stones set in a sea of mist. The mist obscured how far the drop was, but Jenny's imagination made up for it. The fall could go on and on forever, plunging into infinity.

She could feel her legs go weak, like jelly, and would have given up there and then if Dee hadn't been with her, supporting her up. She was encouraging Jenny while simultaneously cursing Julian and Jenny smiled despite herself. Only Dee could remain so focused and antagonistic in situations like these, and Jenny was overwhelmingly glad she had Dee with her.

"Okay its bad" Dee was saying, "But the gaps are small enough for us to leap over" Jenny just looked at her, as if she were mad. They were 2 islands away from the other side and she knew there was no way she could make that jump twice. "Come on Jenny!" Dee said wickedly, "make it happen, we have to do it anyway" "No we don't" Jenny said desperately, still resisting. "We don't have to do it at all." Large waves of panic were engulfing her and Jenny had the strongest urge to look down. But she couldn't, because if she _did, _she would lose her head completely and then there was no telling what she would do.

"Yes we do Jenny" Dee was saying, "Look we're near the end, we just have two islands to jump over before we reach the other side so-" Dee stopped abruptly, looking behind her. Jenny looked too. There had been a low growling sound and, in the thick mist on the far side of the cliff, where Jenny and Dee had come in, there was a brief flicker of movement. Jenny squinted her eyes, trying to make out what it was. It looked like an animal. What else would be crawling on the floor like that.

She peered again as the shape slowly came into view, out of the thick mist and then Jenny felt her eyes go wide. Like a deer. It was a large snow leopard. Its fur was pure white and gleaming, so it looked almost silver in the hazy mist. Its eyes glowed amber, with a ferocity that Jenny could see even from where she was. it didn't look like it had any mercy to appeal too. As Jenny looked on, more shapes appeared in the mist and 2 more leopards emerged, coming to a stand alongside the first. One of them, Jenny noticed, had bright blue eyes.

"I think" Dee said, her voice taut, "That this is where my nightmare comes in." Jenny looked at her. Dee was breathing hard, her sculpted face set in what looked like steely determination. "You're scared of leopards" Jenny asked her, "not as such" Dee muttered back, voice still tight with control, "they are the perfect hunters though. Once they set their sights on you – " Dee broke off. "They're unmatched in speed and no amount of training can beat it. They're natural athletes. _That's_ what worries me about them. I can't beat them on my own." "Oh" Jenny said weakly, "Which means…" "We're going to have to run and fast" Dee said swiftly. Jenny looked back at the leopards. They were staring malevolently at Dee and herself, tails flicking lazily back and forth, as if sizing up their prey. Suddenly, without warning, the one with blue eyes leapt forwards onto the first island, the other 2 following swiftly behind with cat-like agility. There was deadly intent in their eyes and Jenny felt a stab of pure fear.

Galvanized into action, Dee looked straight at Jenny and said , "Okay I'm going to jump over first, then you follow so I can help you okay?" She looked Jenny in the eyes earnestly, "It means I'm going to leave you Jenny, you have to jump when I say so okay? Jenny nodded wildly. Dee let go of her then and moving to the edge of the island, bent her left leg and propelled herself onto the other island, landing squarely in the middle. Without stopping to steady herself Dee turned around and yelled, "okay now you jump Jenny." Obediently Jenny moved and copied the same position as Dee. She tried to focus on Dee's form but all she could think of was the long drop on either side. No don't think about it she told herself firmly, think of Dee and think of Tom. Tom, Jenny braced herself, and ignored the verbal war in her mind that was telling her she was going to fall.

There was a deep growl behind her and Jenny jumped, landing sprawled on the island beside Dee. Dee helped her up and Jenny risked a look behind her, the leopards were on the move, jumping quickly to the second island with ease. There were just four islands separating them from the leopards now, and even as they watched, the leopards closed the distance. Their movements full of purpose. "Ready?" Dee said as she let go of Jenny and prepared to jump to the last island. "Ok" Jenny said and before she knew it, she was on her again. She had to move quick, the leopards were swiftly gaining; Jenny could hear their low snarling as they stalked her and Dee.

Bracing herself she moved into the jumping position again. She had an overwhelming urge to look down and her heart thumped along with the drumming in her head. Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down. "Jenny come on" Dee yelled urgently, "They're catching up" Frightened Jenny looked behind her, they were on the island she had just jumped from, the one with blue eyes staring at her predatorily. Panicked Jenny jumped. She had overshot, she realised too late, and she barrelled into Dee pushing her over the edge, and landed on the island sprawled on her front. "NO" Jenny cried, quickly realising what she had done. She moved to the edge and looked down.

Dee had caught the edge of the island in time and was now hanging on by her arms, her legs dangling in thin air. "Dee" Jenny cried, shocked and clasping her around the wrists Jenny tried to pull her up. It was pointless. Dee's legs swung uselessly in the air and Jenny didn't have the strength to pull her up on her own. The cold had seeped into her muscles making them stiff. "Jenny let go off me and Jump to the end" Dee said urgently. "No I'm pulling you up first" Jenny said crying, "Jenny there's nothing for me to push up against, just go, you need to make it through GO" "No" Jenny said, still trying to pull Dee up. One of her tears dropped and landed on Dee's cheek. She saw a flicker in Dee's eyes, an internal conflict, then "Jenny please" Dee said softly, "_you_ have to win this game – kick Julian's Ass for me" And with that Dee let go of the edge, her wrists slipping out of Jenny's hands as gravity pulled her down into the swirling mist.

For a moment Jenny stared disbelievingly at her empty hands. A loud snarling right behind her bought her swiftly back to the present. Slowly she looked around. The blue-eyed leopard was watching her, preparing itself to jump towards her. Just then Jenny knew she had a decision to make. She could stay here and forfeit the game, automatically losing the others in the process – or she could get up and win. She had to win this- for Dee. Jumping up swiftly, Jenny drew on all the strength she had and made the final leap across to the other side.

Jenny hit the ground on her hands and knees and scrambling up quickly she whirled around to face her pursuers. The leopards had gone. As she watched the mist slowly faded revealing a sky of pure blue. Jenny could now see the blue ocean that surrounded the cliff, its waves breaking leisurely against the bottoms of the islands. It was beautiful and Jenny felt strangely – elated. She had won this nightmare. Two more to go and then she would have everybody back and safe. And as for Julian… Taking a deep breath Jenny turned to find the door.

The blue eyed leopard was right behind her.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 19**

Terrified, Jenny jumped backwards, towards the edge. Her feet landed on the edge of the cliff and for a few terrifying moments Jenny teetered on the edge, arms flailing in the air, before she fell backwards. There was no way to break her fall. Jenny was going to plunge into the sea and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Rather than feeling scared, a deep sorrow hit Jenny. she had lost the game, had let everybody down.

A strong hand closed around her wrist, jerking her fall to a stop. Jenny blinked, surprised by her mid-air arrest. She looked up slowly. Julian was leaning over the edge, his hand closed around her right wrist. He looked completely unfazed, even slightly amused, as he held her dangling in the air, almost as if she was weightless. Jenny just stared up at him, her mind racing. Why wasn't he pulling her up? was he going to let her fall? if he was going to let her fall why didn't he just let go? Maybe she should just snatch her hand away and let herself drop, because _anything_, even falling, was better than hanging over the edge like this.

Hysterically Jenny looked down, the drop made her head swim and she looked back up at Julian with mounting terror. Green locked on luminous blue for an instant and then slowly, corners of the mouth turned up in a haughty smirk, Julian pulled her up.

The moment her feet touched solid ground, Jenny's legs collapsed, like two fragile matchsticks. Julian was there instantly, supporting her, his arms holding her up as she recovered from the shock. Slowly the wild beating of her heart subsided, and Jenny pushed herself away, stumbling further away from the edge. Her legs still felt shaky, but at least they were holding her up. Julian was dressed in full white, white leather trousers and a renaissance white top with a deep v at the front. The white served to make his eyes even bluer, if such a thing was possible. He looked almost – evangelical, if it wasn't for the devilish gleam in his eyes and he was in high spirits, Jenny noted, in complete contrast to earlier, when he had been gentle, almost penitent, as he kneeled before her.

"Why didn't you let me fall" Jenny asked him, trying to control the shake in her voice. "Would you rather I did?" Julian replied, one eyebrow raised in amusement. His eyes were glinting wickedly, hair gleaming in the sunlight that had chased away the last of the mist. He looked beautiful, in the most exotic way possible, the light breeze ruffling his shirt, emphasizing the lithe body within. Jenny looked away, annoyed that he could still affect her so. Julian chuckled then, guessing, as usual, what she was thinking. "I didn't let you fall" he said, slowly walking towards her, purposefully, like a leopard, "Because technically you won the nightmare. It wouldn't have been – _sporting _to have made you fall." he looked at her smiling, as if amused at his own choice of words. Jenny didn't smile back. "should I thank you then?" she said acerbically, her words dripping with sarcasm. "If you really want to" he replied beguilingly, eyes flicking down to her lips. Fury sparked in Jenny and without another word, she whirled on her heel to find the door that led out.

"We could end this now you know" Julian said melodically, following her. "you could have everybody back, don't you want that?" "What I want" Jenny said turning around to face him, "Is the door out so I can keep playing this game till _I _win." "If you win" Julian said softly, moving directly in front of her. "I will" Jenny said, determinedly standing her ground, facing up to the challenge. He touched her then, hands lightly caressing her hair, softly stroking the stray hair away from her face and tucking it gently behind her ears, his fingertips lingering against her skin. Jenny involuntarily shut her eyes, the softness eliciting an overwhelming need to just stand still and _feel._ "We could just end it now" Julian said again softly, hands slowly lacing through her hair, tilting her head up, as if for a kiss.

A warm breeze swept across Jenny, bringing with it a smell of fresh roses and Jenny opened her eyes in pleasant surprise. The ground was carpeted in hundreds of pure white roses, spreading out in all directions, like a rippling sea of flowers. It was the most beautiful sight Jenny had ever seen. "What is this?" Jenny asked in wonder, looking up at Julian. "Everything I could give you" he murmured, eyes unwavering as they gazed into hers. He kissed her then. A short, simple kiss, like a promise. It rocked Jenny to her core. She stood for a moment just feeling. The warmth of the sun, the scented breeze, the faint thump of Julian's heart. "Why?" she said gently, almost in tears, pushing herself away from his embrace. "You know why Jenny" Julian sighed, "I love you." "Do you?" Jenny said simply, "I wonder."

She had wondered if Julian loved her – truly loved her. He always said he did. Hell he hunted her, watched her, had died for her, but still. If he truly loved her, would he put her through all of this? Julian just looked curiously at her, his arms folded across his chest. "What makes you doubt" he said, his voice strangely deadpan, almost sullen. "You don't cause the people you love so much _pain _Julian." Jenny said feelingly. "You don't hurt them and hunt them and force them to make decisions. You -" "I'm a shadow-man Jenny" Julian interrupted, his voice laced with viciousness. "This _is _how we love." His eyes flashed angrily and Jenny felt a sudden chill. The sky had turned grey again, stormy, a reflection of Julian's unpredictable mood. "It doesn't have to be" Jenny said softly. "You can make it different, you can change I know you can."

"What makes you think" Julian said violently, grabbing her upper arms, "That I want to change?" The wind around them had picked up intensity as Julian spoke, whipping Jenny's hair around her face. "I _don't_ want to change" he hissed, his face close to hers "That was your mistake last time Jenny and it ended up killing me. I wont let that happen again" And with that he vanished, leaving Jenny on the flower strewn cliff-side.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 20.**

Trembling, Jenny turned to find the way out. The door was about ten metres away, standing unsupported by any doorframe, in the middle of the cliff. A small part of Jenny's mind, the part that wasn't numb, wondered at the surreal-ness of the image. Zach would have loved it she though miserably. The sheer impossibility of the image would have gotten his artistic juices bubbling. But Zach wasn't here to see it. She was all by herself.

Walking slowly over to the door, Jenny took one last look at the cliff behind her, before slowly opening the door. The cliff looked barren, strangely desolate, bearing witness to the scene that had unfolded upon it. The flowers had been blown violently, and lay strewn on the ground; martyrs to the storm that had erupted from the shadow-man. Right beside Jenny's feet, was a perfect small rosebud. It's petals tightly closed around itself; protection from the carnage, Jenny supposed. Picking it up, Jenny gently slipped it into her jean pocket. She didn't know why she wanted it. It was almost like a – momento. A tiny piece of what she could have had. The "moonbeam" side of the shadow. The part she had lost.

Slowly she let herself out of the door and walked down the hallway. Jenny felt very, very alone. She wished she had someone, _anyone, _to just hold her, tell her it was all right. So far she had managed to kill Tom, had sent Dee plunging to her death and had managed to annoy Julian, not once, but three times. Suddenly overcome with grief, Jenny sunk to the floor and cried. Her heart felt so heavy, she didn't think it could support her anymore. Her body rocked back and forth as wave after wave of anguish swept over her.

She wished she wasn't in this situation, wished she wasn't here, wished she was _anybody_ but Jennifer Thornton. Murderer, betrayer and antagonist.

Slowly Jenny's grief spent and she sat miserably, hunched against the wall. The tears had pooled in the corners of her eyes and they ran in tiny rivulets down the curve of her face, even though she wasn't crying anymore.

Jenny couldn't understand what it was that was making her feel like her entire world was being ripped to shreds. But the look, oh, the look on Julian's face when he had hissed at her. It had been – unbearable. It had made her heart twist. But why would it make her feel so desolate? She knew she cared about Julian, she always had. Had wanted to help him and take care of him, much as she did Summer. But she didn't love him. She loved Tom. At least – she thought she did.

A part of her loved Julian, Jenny decided, a little.

A lot.

She didn't know why it just hit her then, but she did. She did love Julian. She wanted to protect him and care for him and see him happy. But she couldn't. Despite what she felt, he was still a shadow-man. He wasn't human. He could never live in her world. And she would never survive in his. They were just too different, polar opposites. _Light versus dark. _And he was _dangerous._ Far too dangerous. Whimsical and capricious. And he had hurt her friends. That's where Jenny drew the line.

She had to get up now. Had to carry on the game, and win it, to set free her friends. Despite what she felt for Julian, they were more important and right now needed Jenny. God alone knows what horrors they were facing on her behalf.

Determined, jenny took a deep ragged breath and shakily got to her feet. Her eyes felt heavy and tired from the tears. Pulling her sleeves over her hands, Jenny dried the last of the wetness from her eyes and began walking again. Her feelings for Julian would have to be a conundrum she faced herself later. Right now she had a game to win.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 21**

About a hundred yards down Jenny came across another door. The all too familiar wrenching of her gut twisted through her again as she prepared herself for the challenge to come. The nightmares had been getting harder and harder, more difficult and far more threatening. And they were so _unexpected._ She was facing fears that her conscious thoughts didn't even recognise, fears that seemed _so_ inconsequential that she barely even acknowledged them – till she was face to face with them. And then she was lost.

It was exactly as Julian had said, they were definitely "psychologically challenging", exactly as he had planned them.

Slowly, filled with a deep trepidation, Jenny lowered her hand to the doorknob, resting it on the cool bronze. She took a deep breath and was just about to twist the handle when her little fingers started to tingle.

Slowly, one hand still braced against the door, Jenny turned her head and looked behind her. Julian was lounging against the opposite wall, as if waiting for her to realise he was there. Letting go of the door handle Jenny turned around to face him fully. She didn't know what it was, but something about Julian was filling her with a deep sense of foreboding. He looked laid back and relaxed, but there was something about the rigidity of his stance that made Jenny think he was anything but.

"I thought you might want this" Julian said amiably, holding out something small and black. Intrigued, Jenny took it from his hand and looked back up at him quizzically. It was a torch. Seeing the question in her eyes, Julian smirked tauntingly. "If you want a clue it's going to cost you" he said, looking at her through heavy lidded eyes. "Are you willing to pay the price?!"

Jenny shook her head uncertainly. Whispers of alarm were running up and down her spine. Julian was radiating danger, so strong that it seemed to shimmer in the air beside him. "What a pity" he tutted at her refusal and although his mouth was smiling, the mirth didn't reach his eyes. They burned with a cold fire.

He was wearing a simple white shirt that was left unbuttoned at the collar, and plain black trousers. Jacks clothing, jenny realised with a shock. The understated clothes highlighted the exaggerated beauty of his face, emphasising the silvery softness of his hair and sensual elegance of his lips.

"Can I ask you something" jenny asked hesitantly. "I'm sure you can" Julian replied easily. "What can I do for you?" "Why did you become "Jack" for so long? Why didn't you just start the games straight away?" Julian smiled wolfishly, eyes drooping at her question. "Well" he said smirking, pushing a stray lock of hair out of his eyes, "For the few years that I was, oh how shall we put it, _non-existent,_ I lost touch with your world. Before I came to claim you again I wanted to see what you were doing, seeing how wonderful – or otherwise, you were doing in my absence. And it helped me gain a new perspective on what your fears were. To learn what I could use against you."

Jenny kept silent, looking up at him steadily, trying to quash the fear that was raging inside. She thought it best not to react to his answer. Julian seemed to be in the same destructive mood he had been in when she had first discovered she cared for him, in that awful Tunnel of Despair.

She wondered if he knew what she was feeling now. She was scared, yes, but she was also riveted to the spot, content to just look at him. Her heart was thumping wildly. It didn't help that Julian was looking at her through eyes as blue as ice. Eyes that seemed to stare straight through her.

There was a dramatic shift in their paradigm, and Jenny knew that Julian could sense it too. Whereas before she would have been indignant at his reasons, this time she remained passive, her face set stoically, not revealing an ounce of the battle that was waging within.

In one fluid movement, Julian eased himself from his position and over to where Jenny was standing. He placed one hand on the wall beside her, leaning over her predatorily. "And I think I did a pretty good job of it wouldn't you say?" he asked her softly, his voice a little above a whisper. "I've got all you little lambs _exactly_ where I want you." He smiled at her wildly, blue eyes flashing in amusement. But again Jenny kept her silence. He was purposely trying to intimidate her, but she wasn't going to rise to the bait.

And if truth be told, she wasn't sure if she could trust herself to speak. Her heart was beating more erratically than it had before. Julian's proximity causing her blood to race around in dizzying circles.

Leaning in further, Julian placed his free hand under Jenny's chin, and slowly tilted her head up to meet his. He leaned in closer again, till his lips were hovering over hers, his breath warm against her own, then slowly he pulled away. Jenny looked up at him in surprise and Julian caught the brief flicker of disappointment that flashed through them. He smiled widely then, his grin wild and feral. Placing his hand on the side of Jenny's head, he tilted her head up again and grazed his lips softly over hers, barely touching her lips. Softly, seductively he repeated the action before slowly moving his lips down her neck, stopping at the smooth skin right behind her ear.

Bolts of electricity shot through Jenny. A part of her wanted to push Julian away, to stop what she was feeling, but the other part wanted to wrap her arms around him and bring him closer. Unable to stop herself, jenny slipped her fingers into Julian's hair, she felt an overwhelming urge to feel the silky softness of his hair and wrap it around her fingers. It was exactly how she had imagined it to be. Satiny and smooth, like gossamer. Julian pulled back to look at her then, hidden depths swirling in his eyes as Jenny's fingers caressed his hair. Gently he brought his lips down to hers again, covering them in a soft, tender kiss. A light featherlike kiss that grew deeper and more urgent with every second. And jenny was responding just as feverishly. The small coherent part of her brain that had told her to stop before, was now yelling in protest, but Jenny ignored it. Her overbearing feeling of loneliness, coupled with her new feelings for Julian were making her reckless, wanting more and more of his touch, to feel safe, to feel wanted. To just forget the game.

Julian moved the kisses down her neck, tracing his kisses with his fingers as he went. Tilting her head back he kissed the hollow of her throat before resuming his exploration of her neck.

Jenny was on slow burn, she could feel herself getting more and more undone with every passing minute. Julian's hands were everywhere, in her hair, on her neck, tracing the outline of her lips. She knew she would have to put a stop to it, in _just one more minute. One more…_

Finally, heeding her own warning, Jenny pulled away. Her breath was coming in hitches and her cheeks felt like they were on fire. Julian was looking down at her, his eyes heavy lidded again, and blue as the core of a flame. Jenny steadfastdly ignored them.

She was still twined in Julian's arms and slowly she moved herself away. "I have a game to win" she whispered, almost inaudibly. Julian moved in again, gently caressing her ear with his lips. "Good luck" he whispered, and then disappeared, leaving jenny bereft of his warmth in the hallway.

Sighing heavily Jenny moved towards the door again, this time pushing down on the bronze handle with force. She had let herself get carried away, wasting precious time. Glancing down at her watch she saw in horror that it was already 9pm. She had only three hours left to complete two more nightmares. Whatever happened, Jenny knew she had no more time left to waste.

Jenny paused just briefly before walking in through the door, flinching as it shut with a resounding click behind her. She was in a pitch black room, so dark that she couldn't even see her hand when she waved it in front of her. So that's why Julian had given her the torch she thought wryly.

Jenny flicked the switch and a dull orange glow emitted from the torch. Moving the torch around her, jenny took in her surroundings. She was in a small cave-like chamber. All the sides were solidly packed in with boulders. The chamber was high, levelling off about 10 feet above where jenny was standing. In the top right hand corner the ceiling was a little bit higher. In the dull glow of the torch Jenny could just about see a small ledge in the corner.

The torch started to flicker, growing duller with every moment, and Jenny swore inwardly. Julian could have at least given her a torch that worked, but then that hardly worked to his advantage now did it?

Moving the torch around again, Jenny desperately tried to gauge her surroundings, trying to remember the layout for when the torch went out. There was nothing substantial to take in. The cave was small, sealed and completely airtight. Jenny remembered it.

It was the cave from Joyland Park. The one in which she had almost drowned in, where she had been stranded in the pitch black with the shadow men. No sooner had she thought that, the torch flickered one last time and died completely.

_Shit_, Jenny thought, fearfully. What was she supposed to do? She had a feeling she had to get up to the ledge, but that was at the very top of the chamber, and there had been no footholds, no steps, nothing to help her get there. The hairs at the back of Jenny's neck stood up as the feeling of being watched swept over her. Looking around in the darkness she saw the eyes. The other shadow-men were watching her, just as they had before in Joyland Park. That's when the water started.


	25. Chapter 25

_A/N: Just in case you're all wondering I've added new chapters in between some of the story.Chapters 13/15 &19 are all new. _

**Zach**

Zach stared down the long corridor that stretched out in front of him. It wasn't really a surprise to him that he had ended up here. If he was brutally honest he didn't think anyone would be surprised he had ended up here, given his family history.

Slowly he made his way down the pristine white tiled corridor, pausing every now and then to glance through small windows, that were set in the walls in evenly spaced intervals. Zach snorted derisively. The placing was unerringly even, he could measure it with his feet, each were exactly four large strides apart. Of course, he thought scathingly, has to be even, has to be precise, no room for anything deviant in here.

Unconsciously Zach's pace picked up, mirroring his agitated thoughts. He tried to avoid looking in the windows, at first he had been curious, wanted to see what it looked like, see what his nightmare looked like. But he didn't want to anymore. He had seen enough. This _place,_ he thought, his nostrils flaring in disgust, was everything he hated, everything he detested. Everything he feared.

It was so _white,_ so barren, devoid of colours, shapes, dreams, stripped of individuality. The place was a beast, it screamed at his artistic mind, stalking him, luring him, sensing his thoughts and weaknesses, snaring his mind and baiting him before it trapped him. Ensnaring him forever in its vast, sticky web of lies.

Not to me, Zach thought with a panicked calm, _not to me_. He was jogging now, his ash blond hair swinging behind. A light sheen of sweat covered his forehead as he jogged, faster, faster, looking for a way out. He couldn't stay here for too long he couldn't, he would go mad, which, he thought, snickering to himself insanely, is _exactly_ what they want.

The rooms began to pass by him in a rush as he ran faster down the length of the corridor. Even now the windows screamed at him, telling him to look, to see what was destined for him. He didn't look. He couldn't. He kept his eyes straight, sheer willpower forcing him to keep searching for a way out.

Suddenly the end of the corridor loomed ahead of him and Zach halted, so abruptly that the force of his momentum caused him to stumble. There were no turnings at the end, just a door in the wall. There was no window looking into this one.

Zach moved forward hesitantly. He could see now that the door was slightly ajar, just slightly, allowing the barest sliver of orange-y light into the dull corridor. It filled him with the deepest sense of fore-boding. If he had learned anything from his past experiences, it was to never open a door without knowing what was behind it.

Jenny had thought him that.

For a brief moment Zach's slate grey eyes softened. Out of all of them he knew this was going to be the hardest on Jenny. He had seen the look on Julian's face when he had announced the rules of the new game. He had been looking at Jenny, almost violently. Zach hadn't seen any compassion in those blue eyes. And now jenny had to win _all_ of her nightmares. All alone.

Would she win? Zach wasn't so sure. He knew julian would be stalking her through out the game, trying to trick her as he had in the first paper house. He remembered what Jenny had told him in private. It had been after the last fight he'd had with his father, when he'd decided to move out of home. Jenny had been over to comfort him and she'd told him, in private, when Julian had impersonated him and had kissed Jenny.

His eyes had widened in shock. He was an artist, it took a lot to shock him, but that had seriously thrown him. Sure he loved Jenny, but as a sister, nothing else. It amused him to think Julian had been so jealous. Now it didn't so much. Now it scared him. Even after death he wasn't done with her, now _that_ was serious obsession. And Zach knew about serious obsession. Look at Van Gogh, he had sent his life's obsession his own severed ear.

But at least Van Gogh had mutilated himself. Julian didn't seem to be content until he mutilated everybody else.

Zach took a deep breath, his grey eyes turning as dark as flint again. It was obvious he had to go into that room and face what was there. Hell he had made it through the last two nightmares, maybe he would survive this.

_Maybe._

This place was everything that haunted him, ever since he had thought that Grandpa Evans had turned crazy, he had imagined he would end up here. His dad hadn't helped. He had taunted Zach, yelled at him, wondered why he spent so much time in the basement creating things that weren't real. "_No son of mine_" he had yelled. How could he explain to a man, who's sole joy in life was hunting and drinking, about the magic that art contained?

Zach had tried once to explain. He had shown his dad his favourite creation by Dali, "The Burning Giraffe". It had depicted two women, with drawers in their legs, supported by props; in the background was a lone giraffe, covered in flames. Zach loved it, he could stare at it for hours, contemplating what Dali was trying to depict. His father had just stared at him. After that Zach hadn't bothered, and turned a deaf ear to his father's relentless ramblings.

Julian was a surrealist, he thought as he moved closer to the door. The phantom snake and wolf had been creations worthy of Dali-esque praise. Zach's picture of the phantom snake was his most prized creation. It had gained him entry to his art course, all of his teachers had wondered how he'd managed to capture a photograph like that.

Zach hadn't bothered to explain.

Gritting his teeth, Zach pushed open the door fully, it was as white and sterile as the corridor had been. The walls were covered in soft white padding, and there was one bed and one cabinet, with rounded corners. How clichéd Zach snorted as he moved in further. Of course it was his nightmare so what did he expect.

He walked towards the bed and the door shut behind him with a soft click. Before he knew it he was grabbed from behind. With an enraged cry Zach struggled, trying to get out of his captors arms', but they were too strong. They slipped something over his head, trapping his arms tightly to his body, and strapped it from behind. Zach looked down in horror.

He was in a strait-jacket.

He turned around to face them. Two men in long white coats, identical glasses on each nose, they were like two clones of each other, standing and judging him. Zach began to struggle in earnest now, what did he have to do, where was the door to get out? His struggles became wild thrashings as he tried to get out of the strait-jacket, immediately the doctors moved forward, one holding him still while the other pulled a needle out and jammed it into his leg.

Zach felt the effect take hold instantly, the room began to swim as the drug flowed through his system, causing him to become drowsy, complacent.

They were whispering things to him now, calming things, probably about how _great_ he was doing as they led him over to the bed and strapped him down. Zach didn't care, he didn't want to know. One sentance caught his attention.

"You have a visitor they whispered" and then moved away leaving him to stare at the blank white walls.

Zach tried to focus, visitor, who was visiting him here? He closed his eyes, shutting out the blinding whiteness, trying to think. A noise caused him to open his eyes. A gun was pointed at his head.

He lifted his head to look at its' owner. "No son of mine" his father whispered as he pulled the trigger and Zach's world exploded in colour.


	26. Chapter 26

_A/N: Im so sorry in the huge delay in chapters but work has been a nightmare recently! I have all the chapters planned out though so there will be more on the way! As always r&r. thanks!_

**Chapter 22**

Jenny stood still for a moment, her breath coming in low, shallow swallows. It was almost like she wasn't taking enough air into her lungs and her chest began to hurt as it struggled to get air. She could hear a vague whimpering noise coming from somewhere, it wasn't till her brain harshly reminded her that she was all alone that Jenny realised the noise was coming from her.

The torch hung in her hands, swinging to and fro, useless and dead, as she stood there, in a frightened stupor. Finally adrenalin swooped through her, and she quickly dropped to her knees, scrambling across the floor of the cave, searching for the source of the water.

She had to find it; maybe she could freeze it solid like she had last time. Then at least the risk of drowning would be stopped. She moved numb fingers along the base of the cavern, feeling her way through the swirling water, till finally she found the place where the pressure was greater than everywhere else. Scarcely breathing Jenny ran a finger up and down the wall, just above the flow.

"Isa" she whispered, her voice shaking with the cold.

Nothing happened.

Desperation rushed through Jenny. That had been her only option. What else could she do? The tears started then, running in hot streams down her cold cheeks and dripping into the rising water below. It was the most melancholy noise she had heard, the soft _plink, plink_ of her tears as they fell into her watery grave.

There was something other than pure fear running through her, she couldn't quite place what it was but it was making her tremble so hard that Jenny was surprised her legs were still supporting her.

The feeling was building up intensity within her, swirling around and around, surging through her blood, building up pressure till it erupted and then Jenny screamed in anguish.

"_It's not fair, damn you."_

She screamed till her lungs were sore, pounding on the stone walls of her prison in fury until her hands felt bruised and swollen. Then, as suddenly as it started, the feeling dissipated and Jenny sank onto the floor, mindless of the freezing water that was now soaking through her jeans. She felt numb. She couldn't be back here, not here, not where she had died.

She had spent months, _Months_, reliving this moment when they had finished the last game. Unable to share it with anyone at first, because the feeling had been too raw, then as time passed the horror of the memory had mellowed, turning into something that was perhaps, just better left unsaid.

Besides, there was never really an appropriate time to say it, "_Guess what guys, I nearly died once!"_

Jenny could just imagine how well that would go down. It was only recently that she had told Summer what had happened and the shock on her face had been enough of a warning to just let things lie. And now she was back here and she had no one, _no one_, to help her. Not even Julian.

The water was rising steadily, reaching up to Jenny's waist as she sat on the cold floor. It was seeping through her clothes, covering her skin with its frigid iciness. But she sat still, lifeless; a frozen statue. Leaning her head against the wall, Jenny cried in earnest. The water was up to her neck now where she sat, but what did it matter? There was nothing she could do to win this nightmare. She hadn't succeeded the first time, and she was just as lost this time. Especially since she knew that last time she had been saved. This time it was Julian that was drowning her.

She felt it a betrayal of sorts. How could Julian put her back here, knowing she had almost died, knowing the pain she had felt, the _horror_. Maybe that's why he had, to remind her how he had saved her – or, Jenny thought with a jolt of pure fear, as payback. A chilling reminder of how she could have died, because of him, and had been saved, by him. Even though it was because of him she had been in that situation in the first place.

Him. It was always because of _him_. Always.

The water was rising up against her cheeks now and slowly Jenny stood up. Her muscles were already stiff with the cold and her legs ached as she stretched herself out from her kneeling position. Anger was beginning to pulse inside her again. A raw pulsing. She could feel it coiled up inside her like a venomous snake preparing to strike. And when she struck, Jenny promised herself, she would do so with unerring precision. She would hurt the Shadow man exactly like he was hurting her. Without pity.

She began to wade through the water, in a vain attempt to keep her body warm. Her thoughts floated disjointedly in her head. Julians odd smile as he handed her the torch, the wild beating of her treacherous heart as he stood over her, the feel of his hair beneath her fingers, the silky softness of his kiss, his breath on her ear as he said "Good Luck." The knowing, mocking smile he flashed her as she walked to her doom.

"_Bastard."_ Jenny swore viciously. She hated how she had let him get control over her. She had let her stupid feelings get in the way _again._ And he had manipulated it _exactly_ to his advantage. Her hands curled into tight fists as she struggled to regain her composure, tightening around the torch she still had in her hand, a half broken torch with just enough light to let her see _how_ she would die.

The torch Julian had given her.

In one fluid movement Jenny flung the torch from her hand with force. It hit the wall of the cavern with a resounding bang, that echoed around the airtight room. It flickered a bit as it fell, then miraculously it turned on again. The torch still only emitted a dull orange glow, but after the blinding darkness the beam looked like a ray of pure sunlight to Jenny.

A little laugh escaped her lips; a joyous sound. The light ignited a spark of hope within her, its dull glow looked almost cosy, comforting. It chased away the villainous fears in her mind that had been holding her back. There had to be a way to win this nightmare, there was always a way, you just had to be smart enough – and strong enough – to do it.

Jenny looked around her again carefully, taking in each detail of the cave in a clear, concise method. It was fabulous how the brain worked to help you in life or death experiences. It would go into overdrive taking every last detail into account. Again Jenny looked at the ledge at the far corner. She moved to the other side of the cave to see if there was anything up there. Backing up against the wall Jenny strained her toes to see up. Something was glowing up there, just barely, catching the soft glow of the torch. It was a door handle Jenny realised excitedly; she knew she had been right about getting up there.

But the excitement evaporated as quickly as it began. How on earth was she supposed to get up there? It was right at the top of the cavern, there were no footholds to climb with and the water was rising rapidly. Even as she looked, it rose, nearly up to her neck, brushing her collar bones with chilling strokes. How could she get up to the ledge?

The answer came almost instantly.

_Swim._

She would have to swim up. Keeping herself buoyant the whole way. Doggy-paddling. Jenny gritted her teeth, her mouth one straight line of determination. She would have to do it. She knew it was going to be hard, _hell_ it was almost impossible given the frigidity of the water and length the water had to rise. But she would do it because she had to.

Jenny thought of the kids she had taught swimming when she was in high school. They all had disabilities of some sort and had still managed to learn to swim. Some even going on to enter competitions. And look at Jenny. She had two hands and two feet and still she stood complaining. She could almost hear Mrs. Garber's voice in her head, admonishing her gently, encouraging her to do just that little bit more.

She was glad for the memory of the voice in her head. The torch was flickering again from its position on the bottom of the cave and she knew it would die any second now, leaving her in the suffocating darkness again.

It flickered off.

Jenny shut her eyes and drew a deep calming breath. _Okay_, she thought, _here goes_. The water had reached her face now, rising higher, covering her nose. And Jenny stood on her toes, trying to keep from swimming as much as she could. She would need all the energy she had.

It rose higher and higher, and now Jenny was completely submerged, her hair swirling around her in the chilly water. She floated underwater for a bit, the water twirling around her body, running through her fingers, coating every part of her body with ice like fingers.

Then she began to swim, propelling herself out from under the water, moving her arms and legs in wide circular motions, pushing the water away from her and bringing it back in, as her legs kicked in wide circles.

In, out, circle. In, out, circle. In, out, circle.

She repeated the words in time to her movements. Running them through her head like a mantra, "_In, out, circle", _the words helping her to form a meaning to the endless motions.

Already her legs and arms were aching. The coldness had seeped in to her very core, chilling the very sinews of her muscles, making them weak, lethargic. Her chest burned with the exertion, as she continued to swim, her arms and legs moving like dead weights in the water.

Suddenly she faltered, her head submerging as her arms failed to move and Jenny panicked. Terrified she kicked harder but her legs began to flail as the weight of her shoes began to drag her down. Frightened Jenny kicked her shoes off relieving the heaviness that was pulling her under. Her burden lighter, Jenny swam back to the top, taking deep breaths as her head broke the surface.

She continued the movements as before, trying to drum the motions in her mind, trying to stop her thoughts from straying. But she couldn't stop it. Random threads of thought began to weave through her mind, looping and pulling, from one direction to the next. She saw Tom's face at the restaurant when he had wanted to tell her about his college transfer. Saw the disappointment and sorrow he felt.

In, out, circle.

"_It's so good to have you home honey_." Her mothers voice, "_Its so different without you here_." "Mom" Jenny whispered disjointedly.

"_We don't need to spend every minute together you know_." Tom.

"_I still love you, you see_."

In, out, circle.

Her movements were becoming slower now, deadened, coming in spurts as her mind followed a numbing procedure. She was getting drowsy, her thoughts coming faster, more disjointed, more scattered.

She couldn't feel her arms or her legs anymore, but just heavy weights moving randomly beside her.

_In, out, circle._

She could feel darkness beckon her, welcoming her into its warm embrace her, but there was some reason not to. Her mind was telling her not to give in, not just yet, some reason to keep swimming, to just keep swimming.

"_Jenny, I saw you just yesterday!__ – I know Summer but – I know", _Summer smiling.

She was so cold now, it hurt to breathe, it felt as if her lungs had frozen. But still, she couldn't, not yet. She had to reach somewhere. Had to save someone.

Summer?

Zach? Zach needed her was that it? Had to reach someone.

Was it Julian? Was she saving Julian?

"_We can unmake you – then do it, but you won't get past me_."

No.

No don't kill him again.

_In, out, circle._

Suddenly Jenny felt her hand hit something. The pain was extraordinary, shooting through her numb fingers, sending waves of pain to her very core and shocking her our of her torpor. She hit out more carefully and felt the smooth rock. That's when she realised that the water had stopped rising.

Had she reached the top?

She moved one hand slowly up the rock beside her, willing her desensitized fingers to feel the ledge. Keeping her legs moving and her free arm moving, Jenny moved her right hand up slowly, further and further, till she felt an edge. _Yes_, it was the edge, she moved it up again, and _yes there it was_, dry rock.

If she hadn't been so tired, Jenny might have felt a burst of excitement at reaching the top. As it was she barely had any energy to lift her hands to the ledge and pull herself onto the ledge. Her arms screamed at the movement, refusing to help her as she tried to get onto the ledge, her legs floating uselessly in the water below. Too numb to work anymore.

_Come on, _her mind screamed at her, _Move._

Jenny could feel the darkness rush towards her again, and this time she knew there was nothing she could do to stop it. Still she scrambled up, pushing against the ledge and finally, yes, she was on the ledge. But the dark was right behind her. She could feel herself fall into its enveloping warmth, as her hands sought and settled on the round doorknob.

Using her last ounce of strength, Jenny twisted the handle, and then the darkness took her.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 23**

Jenny woke to the sound of muffled whispers and hushed voices. They were broken, almost distorted, as if she was hearing them from a distance. She was lying on something hard and flat. It was so cold that it seeped into the very core of Jenny's bones, making her body ache with a tenacity she had never felt before. The whispers grew louder as she slowly acclimatised to her surroundings.

"I think she's waking up"

"Is she?"

"Yeah her eyes are half open, look."

The voices sounded familiar, and finally Jenny fully opened her eyes. She was lying on the floor of a cold dark room. It didn't seem to have any windows or doors, the only source of light coming from a single light bulb that hung precariously from a thin white wire in the middle of the room.

"Look she's definitely up now"

Sounds came then of people moving towards her and Jenny twisted to her side to see who it was. Pain shot through her muscles as she moved and she couldn't stop a deep groan from erupting from her.

"Jenny?" a voice said hesitantly, "You ok?"

Slowly Jenny lifted her head to look at the owner of the voice. It was Summer. "Summer" Jenny said feebly. She hurt so badly all over, it even hurt to speak.

"Here come on guys, lets move her now."

There was a sound of shifting chairs and more people walking towards her and then strong arms went around her waist and her legs. Slowly they carried her over to a bench and laid her down gently on it. Taking a few minutes to gather herself, jenny finally gritted her teeth and raised herself into a sitting position, taking in the people surrounding her.

"Dee?" she said slowly, "Audrey. Michael, Zach! You're here, are you all okay?"

"We're fine sunshine, how are you?" "I…" she wanted to say she was okay, but Jenny knew that wouldn't hold.

"I hurt" she said finally, simply.

"Well you certainly look like you've been through the mill" Audrey said matter of factly, "What on earth happened?"

Slowly Jenny looked down at herself, her jeans and shirt were wet and stuck to her skin and she had no shoes on. No wonder she was so cold. Her hair was damp and a few strands had plastered along her face. She looked like she had drowned. Which she thought with a shiver, she almost had.

"I, uh, my last nightmare I was stuck in a flooded cave" Jenny said distractedly, answering Audrey's question. Something else was tugging at her brain. She had made it to the top hadn't she? She had. She remembered grabbing the door handle, had seen a fleeting glimpse of the hallway and then- black. But where was she?

"Where are we?" Jenny said, her forehead furrowed as she looked at the rest of the group. T

here was something about the whole situation that was making Jenny very uneasy. Why was she here? She still had one nightmare left to do, and she had won the last one, she knew she had.

"I don't actually know where we are Jenny, but this is where we all ended up after we, uh, died." Dee said quietly. Jenny's head shot up as pure alarm rang through her. Pain stroked through her at the sudden movement, but Jenny didn't care, her entire brain was screaming in terror.

"What?" Jenny said loudly.

"This is where you come after you die in the nightmare Jenny." Dee said slowly, calmly.

"No" Jenny said loudly, "I didn't die." She had gotten up to her feet now, worry coursing through her veins. She looked at them all then, standing in a circle in the middle of the room, and it was like a veil was lifted from her eyes.

She hadn't looked at them properly before, her pain had been so intense that she hadn't really taken in her surroundings. But now she could see the Crusted red stain on Audrey's white jumper, the deep scratches on Michaels face, as if he had been ravaged by something with sharp claws. And Zach, _oh Zach_, had bloodstains all over his face.

They all looked bruised and broken, except for – "Where's Tom?" Jenny asked, her voice laced with a slight edge of hysteria.

"Over there" Michael nodded. Jenny turned and looked in the direction Michael had nodded. There, sitting by himself in the half light, was Tom. He turned to look at her as Jenny's gaze fell on him. And then she was running over to him, guilt bubbling up inside of her as she remembered what she had done to him.

Almost sobbing Jenny fell to her knees beside him, "Are you okay? Tommy?" she whispered, willing him to answer her. Slowly he turned to look at her, his eyes holding no warmth as he turned to look at her.

"Yeah, im fine." He said perfunctly, his tone clipped. Jenny nodded slowly; she didn't blame him for being distant, especially since he had been trying to save her when she stabbed him.

A part of Jenny was glad that they were all here; she was so tired of being on her own. Then full realisation hit her.

"Oh my god" Jenny said horrified, scrambling to her feet and looking at all of them. "We all lost? I lost, that means –"

"We're toast" Michael said snickering, giggling inanely to himself.

"No" Jenny said walking away from Tom, "No. That can't be right." She was babbling to herself she knew that, but some part of her brain just refused to accept it. "No. I won the last one, I did." She saw Audrey glance at her with one eyebrow raised, taking in jenny's bedraggled appearance before snorting derisively to herself.

"No" Jenny said again, her voice low, her eyes pleading with them to understand. "I didn't lose, I-"

"Jenny we _all_ lost. Not just you. If we did, why not you?" Dee said looking at her. "We lost fair and square, and now, we're dead."

"NO, I didn't lose!" Jenny almost screamed. She had reached the door in the last one, she knew she had. But she just couldn't remember what happened after. Had she gone through it?

"If you didn't lose Jenny, what are you doing here?" Summer said mildly, trying to reason with Jenny.

"I-" Jenny stopped. She didn't know what she was doing here. "Where's Julian then?" She asked finally, still refusing to accept that she had failed. "If we were dead, he would be here gloating."

"Maybe he's giving us a chance to all say goodbye, before we all go Bye bye" Michael said snickering again, and Jenny shot a horrified look at him.

"Well we wont _all _go Bye Bye Mike" Tom said from the corner, as Jenny turned to look at him. "He wont kill Jenny."

His voice was flat, almost deadpan, but his eyes were hard, glaring at Jenny in hate. Jenny had never seen Tom look like that before, never at her anyway. The words Jenny was going to say stuck in her throat. She was going to deny it, Julian wouldn't kill any of them, but even as she looked she saw the other agree with Tom. They didn't say it out loud, but she could tell with the way they nodded slightly or crossed their arms at his words. They agreed with Tom. Finally Jenny found her voice.

"And you think I would let him kill all of you?" She said, her voice cracking with unwept tears.

"How would you be able to stop him Jenny?" Zach said, the first words he had spoken since Jenny had gotten up. He stared at her straight on, his slate grey eyes cold and unyielding. "We all agreed to the rules when we started the game. And we all failed. There's no way to renegade that. We will die."

For a few moments jenny just stood. Her heart was pounding against her chest. She could feel all their stares, felt them laying the blame at her doorstep. Guilt flooded through her in agonising waves. Why hadn't she stopped them from playing? Yes, she had tried, but had she tried hard enough?

"I'm sorry" she whispered then, realising, even as she said it, how pathetic her apology sounded.

"_Im sorry you died for me guys! But hey, forgive and forget right!". _

"You're sorry!" Tom said incredulously, rising to his feet and moving out from the corner. "Well that makes it all okay!" Jenny stared at him in shock, her heart thudding even harder against her chest. Tom had moved over to where the others were standing, forming a sort of group circle; one that kept Jenny out.

"Why are you being like this?" she whispered, trembling violently as she crossed her arms around her in a protective gesture.

"Why am I being like this? Why? Because of _you_ Jenny. And its not just me! Its _everyone!_ We've had to go through nightmares because of _you._ And now we have to die. Because. Of. You." Jenny stood numbly as Tom spoke, the words ripping through her like well aimed bullets.

She understood what Tom was saying, she had felt it herself, had felt guilty and responsible ever since the very first game. Guilty ever since she realised that a kiss was all she had to do to save Summer, and she had refused. Guilty because all she had to do to save the lives of the ones she loved was sacrifice herself, and she had refused. She had been selfish, thinking only about herself, and now because of her, they had all lost.

She knew Tom was speaking the truth, but it didn't make it any easier to hear.

"I told you all not to play the game" she whispered miserably.

"Oh yeah, you tried _real_ hard Jenny" Audrey said acidly, " really held us off didn't you! Do you know because of you I now cant go to Europe!"

"Why didn't you just stay with Julian in the first game?" Michael continued on as Audrey stopped, unable to go on as he voice choked in anger. "At least we would have been safe then."

"Easy for you to say Michael" Summer piped up angrily, "I was dead! Do you know, "she said turning to Jenny, "That Cam used to cry himself to sleep every night after I disappeared. He blamed you, and I tried to tell him it wasn't your fault, but he was right. It was your fault. Why didn't you just go with Julian at the _start_ of the first game?" Summer was staring at Jenny with anger, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"My parents went through weeks of pain because of you."

It was as if a floodgate had been opened then, as torrent after torrent of blame was laid on her shoulders. Even Dee, the one person Jenny had counted on most, turned on her. "Even after I sacrificed myself for you Jenny, you _still_ didn't win."

"No." Zach said then, "Stop" and Jenny turned to look at him. "It's not Jenny's fault" and her heart thudded, at least Zach wasn't turning on her. "Its Grandpa Evans' fault for letting Jenny open that door. Although Jenny killed him too, so I suppose that balances his score."

Anguish ripped through Jenny as her legs finally gave way beneath her. Zach. _Zach, _had turned on her. It was the deepest betrayal she had ever witnessed, her own family turning on her, accusing her, blaming her. "_But they're right_" her brain whispered to her. "_Everything they said, all their pain, all their agony, all because of you_."

Her heart was beating even more erratically now, thudding against her chest, so swollen in pain that it felt like it would explode with the strength of her agony. She watched through a painful haze of tears as one by one they looked at her scornfully, then turned their backs and moved to the other side of the room, whispering together in a tight knit circle that left Jenny out in the cold.

She tried to get up then, to stop her crying and go over to them and tell them that she would make it right. But she couldn't make herself move. The tears were streaming through her eyes, racking violently through her body in giant waves. Her heart thudded ferociously causing shooting bolts of pain through her. She beginning to feel dizzy now, bright spots flashing in front of her eyes as her body reacted to the force of the pain. Feebly Jenny tried to call for help, but the only thing she heard was a low gurgling as her chest struggled to draw air in between her tears.

She tried to call out again, one arm stretched out in front of her as she lay on the floor, her knees tucked underneath her chest as she struggled to contain the broken feeling shooting through her. She could feel the ever familiar blackness rising up to meet her again, but this time it felt different, more compelling. It felt safe, like home and slowly, as her heart jolted one last time, jenny fell into its' welcoming embrace, the last of her tears sliding down her face as her eyes closed.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 24**

Golden beams danced on her face and jenny frowned, absentmindedly brushing a hand over her eyes to make them stop. There was a brief lapse as her hand passed over her face, before the dancing beams re-appeared, flickering and flashing as they played a dizzying melody against her closed eyes.

Their lure grew stronger; the beams danced surely, playing a steady waltz against the blank darkness of her closed eyes. Soaring and whirling, sometime fast- now slow, keeping in tempo with the warm beat of the breeze that caressed her body; flitting through her hair and rippling through her fingers as they gently conspired to rouse her from sleep.

_Open your eyes_, her mind urged her,

"_No_", jenny said, she couldn't explain why, but there was something holding her back; some reason not to comply with logic. It was safe where she was, the soft black was soothing; tempting, secure. She could stay here.

But the dancing lights continued their assault, teasing her eyes as they flitted to and fro, tapping a glimmering Morse code on her skin.

_Wake up._

_Oh all right_, jenny sighed, as she surrendered to their relentless pursuit and slowly flickered her eyelids opened, pulling herself from the arms that kept her in sleeps embrace.

Golden sunlight greeted her as Jenny opened her eyes, squinting as her eyes slowly adjusted to the glow. She was lying on her back, legs slightly curved, on soft grass, dotted here and there with tiny daisies. The grass was in the midst of a thicket of trees and the sunlight flickered merrily through the leafy canopy, creating the beautiful twinkling melody that Jenny had seen even through closed eyelids.

Slowly she pulled herself up into a sitting position, easing her knees into a kneeling position, as she stretched her arms. Her muscles felt oddly stiff, almost as if she had lain in one position for too long. She was still barefoot she noted, but dry now, her shirt was rumpled but warm, her jeans crinkly from drying in the sun. She had to stop doing this, she thought amused, blacking out and then waking up in different places was never a good idea.

Gradually she stood up, taking in her surroundings as she looked around her. She was in what appeared to be a forest. The trees stretched out into the distance, their leafy boughs swooping and dipping, joining together at intervals to create hidden walkways and lovers bowers. Here and there gaps arose between the trees, allowing pure sunlight to pour like molten gold onto the forest floor.

Jenny closed her eyes and breathed in deeply; inhaling the beauty she had seen around her. She felt calm, protected. She knew from the moment she opened her eyes that she was safe in this place, nothing would harm her here, it was like sacred ground, or – _heaven?_, her mind nudged her uneasily. But Jenny ignored it. She wasn't dead.

Julian wouldn't kill her, would he?

A chill went down her spine and Jenny shivered despite the warmth of the flickering sunlight on her back. She remembered what she had just been through, the memory was there, right at the forefront of her mind, she need only think of it and the gates would open, flooding her with its chilling revelations. But she didn't want to right now, not here, she wanted to explore this place, drink it in, feed on its nurturing beauty. Already it was helping, like a potent elixir it chased away her fears leaving her feeling carefree; content.

Slowly jenny walked around the small clearing. Lifting her hand she let the cool leaves brush against her palm, relishing the slight tickling feeling that rushed through her on contact. The ground was soft against her bare feet and Jenny felt- strange, like she was the only person in the world. She felt a sort of meditative calm, almost primitive in her untamed state.

Her hair was loose and floated in soft waves around her face, her white shirt hung un-tucked against her jeans and her bare feet soaked up the feel of the warm earth beneath them. She felt glorious- reborn. It was similar to what she had felt the time she had passed through the fire. She had come through that feeling cleansed, only this time she felt liberated.

Idly she ran her hand over the rough bark of one of the trees, watching as the leaves fluttered gently in the soft breeze. She knew she was only imagining it, but Jenny could almost hear music playing in the background. A soft and melodious tune; it flowed in leaps and bounds, pure and sweet, matching the movements of the leaves and the dappling sunlight, it was a song composed of their elegant swaying and flittering.

But the music didn't stop. It continued on, rising in strength, becoming more stable once Jenny realised it was actually there. Intrigued, she walked towards the sound. Jenny moved slowly forwards. As pleasant as the sound was, it wouldn't do to be hasty – she only had to look at where _that_ particular trait had gotten her in the past.

Moving past the small clearing, jenny came to a small passageway through the trees. The ground had been walked on many times, creating a small well-worn trail through the forest. Keeping close to the edge of the path, Jenny advanced slowly, pausing every now and then to listen for the direction of the music.

The sound became clearer as she walked onwards, the notes falling pure and true, unmarred by the gentle whispering of the trees. To her surprise, it led her to the edge of the forest, the music drawing her out from its leafy cover and onto a grassy meadow. She could see more trees towards the far side of the meadow, and Jenny hesitated, only briefly, before walking out towards the music.

"_You're being led_", her mind whispered to her in Dee's voice. But jenny ignored it, turning a proverbial cold shoulder to the warning. She didn't want to think about Dee right now.

The grass was cool and soft against her feet, cushioning them in the absence of her shoes as she walked onwards. Yes, she was blindly following the music, but hey, if this was a new nightmare to face, she had to face it anyway. No point in delaying the inevitable.

Jenny could see the other side clearly now as she neared the edge of the meadow. The trees were different here; they were smaller and more slender. Their barks were silvery white and instead of leaves the branches were covered in small white petals, blossoms. Jenny gasped. She walked quicker now, longing to reach the trees and see the blossoms close up.

Jenny loved blossom trees, they reminded her of spring in Pennsylvania, when the last of the snow had melted away and nature began to revive itself. The blossom trees would flower first, the tiny petals pushing their way out of slumber and welcoming the coming approach of summer, leading the way for others to follow suit. Jenny had always watched for the blossom trees in spring, and then her and Zach had collected the fallen blooms and brought them home, a small present for their mothers.

Jenny felt a pang then and closed her mind quickly. That was part of the past, best forgotten.

She didn't want to think about Zach yet either.

Reaching the edge of the forest, she ran the last few steps to the trees, breathing in the blossoms in delight. Plucking one, she held it gently in her hands, delighting in its shape and the pure sweet smell. Holding it lightly in her hands, jenny continued on, in search of the music. She was close now, the notes were as clear as crystal, each single note rising and lingering in the air before the next note took its place. Briefly she wondered how the player hadn't gotten tired of playing yet, and then her mind kicked her.

"_How dense can you be"_, it admonished her, and Jenny smiled sheepishly to herself as she meandered her way through the trunks, her bare feet making no sound as she treaded on the soft ground.

A few minutes later Jenny finally found the source of the harmony. Sitting at the base of a blossom tree, with long legs stretched out in front of him, the musician sat with his eyes closed in dreamlike concentration.

Jenny watched from where she was standing; his elegant fingers manipulating the jet black flute with expertise. He opened his eyes then, looking at her as he continued playing the haunting melody. Jenny felt something surge inside her then, something primal. The music was seeping into her blood, swirling around and around, making her want to move in time with its' giddying beat, to open up and embrace the haunting harmony as it tingled her senses and washed lightly over her skin in soft invisible waves.

Instead Jenny walked slowly over to the musician, his eyes unwavering as he watched her approach from where he sat.

"Didn't know you played the flute too" she said casually, meeting the sapphire blue shine of his gaze without fear, and Julian smiled.

Placing the flute down at his side, Julian extended a hand up to her, and Jenny took it without question, as he drew her down to sit beside him.

"I learned a long time back" he said smiling hypnotically at her, "In a small town in Hamelin."

Jenny looked up at him curiously, before catching his meaning. "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" she said scornfully, "How cute."

"Do you think?" Julian asked her good naturedly, "The towns citizens didn't think so"

Jenny just looked at him, "Its just a myth" she said, more for her benefit than his, "a fairytale"

"Is it?" Julian said hauntingly, his voice slow and seductive, almost as enticing as the music itself. Closing his eyes he recited a small verse;

"_When, lo, as they reached the mountain's side,  
A wondrous portal opened wide,  
As if a cavern was suddenly hollowed;  
And the Piper advanced and the children followed,  
And when all were in to the very last,  
The door in the mountain-side shut fast."_

Opening his eyes, he smiled contentedly, "A small verse written by a poet in the 18th century, Robert Browning" he said looking at Jenny, "Sound familiar?" Jenny didn't answer and Julian's smile deepened.

"It lured you anyway. Right to me, skipping and dancing as you followed the music, _right to me_." His voice had dropped to a whisper and Jenny shut her eyes, letting the words wash over her. She wasn't being stupid, she knew he was dangerous, hell, maybe he had even been the Pied Piper, with Julian _anything_ was possible. But she didn't care. Not anymore.

Opening her eyes Jenny looked at him again. He had his eyes shut, leaning his back against the silvery bark of the blossom trees. He was dressed sedately in pure black. The shirt was loose, made of the softest looking silk and unbuttoned at the neck. The symbolism wasn't lost on Jenny. The pure white of the blossoms gleamed almost silver in the sunlight, radiating out a halo like glow. It was everything wholesome and innocent. In contrast the black appeared deeper, darker, more seductive, emanating temptation that was as unholy as sin, as unholy as Julian.

"Where are we?" she asked him softly.

Looking up at her Julian smiled gently, "You tell me?"

Jenny was taken aback. "I don't know where we are!" she said perplexed.

"look around you" Julian said, "you know this place".

"I-" Jenny looked around her, confused. Something tugged gently at her memory, the place did look familiar, like she had been there before. "Have I been here before? I don't remember it"

"look" Julian said "Over there", shaking his head to a spot behind Jenny.

Turning around Jenny looked at what Julian was showing her. She could hear small cries of delight, a boy and girl laughing together. As she watched a small girl with golden hair and a small boy with pale ash blond hair appeared running through the trees. They didn't see Julian and Jenny sitting, as they continued on with their game. Presently they were followed by adults, a woman with hair a deep blond and a man with sandy brown hair and glasses.

Her mother and father, slightly younger then they were now. Jenny turned to look at Julian, still confused, "What is this?"

"It's your favourite memory" Julian replied, watching the younger Jenny and Zach run around, "It was about a year after you opened the door in the basement. It was the first time you truly forgot the horrors you had seen."

Jenny turned around in wonder as remembrance flooded through her. "Of course" she said as she watched her younger self pick blossoms from the ground. "It was our first holiday after –" she stopped looking around, "I don't remember it being this vast though",

"No, that's just part of your dream" Julian replied.

Again Jenny was confused. "My dream?"

"I thought I'd let you experience one of your dreams" Julian said smiling at her through lowered lashes. "I'd say you've had enough nightmares for one night." He paused for a moment then said, "It's one of my favourites too."

Jenny turned to look at him and smiled a smile of pure joy. "Thank you" she said, reaching out her hand towards his.

She stopped just before she touched him, unsure of how to proceed. Julian continued her action, gently lifting his hand and lacing his fingers softly through hers before bringing their entwined hands down to lie on the ground between them. It was such an unlikely thing, her and Julian holding hands. But it felt so right. Their fingers moulded together perfectly, fitting snugly in the curve of their palms and through the gaps in their fingers. A small quote from Shakespeare ran through Jenny's mind, as she looked at their interlaced hands,

"_palm to palm, is holy palmers kiss."_

Shakespeare knew what he was talking about, Jenny mused, the feeling was like a kiss, an innocent kiss, chaste and true.

The dream vision had disappeared and for a while Jenny just sat with Julian, no words passing between them. She didn't want to speak, or ruin the moment, but she knew she would have to.

"Julian" she began. He looked at her then, knowing as he always did, what she was about to say.

"Wait", he said, with an almost sad look in his eyes. "Take this first." He held out his left hand.

As he did the collar of his shirt moved, showing something small glinting on his chest. It was her ring, held on a fine silver chain around his neck, where it dangled close to his heart. For a moment Jenny was too distracted by the sight of her ring, to notice what Julian was giving her.

"Here" he said again, amused at her actions.

Jenny looked down, blushing slightly. In his hand was a small snow globe. The glass was shining and clear, unmarked or smudged. Taking it from Julian, Jenny held it delicately in her hand. Removing her other hand from Julian's, she held it up towards her face to see the scene inside.

It was a blossom tree, she noticed in delight, and at the base of the tree was a small figure with golden hair. Jenny laughed, almost gleefully, in pure delight. She shook the globe gently and watched enchanted, as the petals from the blossom tree swirled around the small figure in the globe.

Feeling something soft landing on her face, jenny looked up. Petals were swirling around her, just as they had in the snow globe, landing as soft as rain drops around her in a swirling cloud of white. A small "oh" left her lips as she gazed around in rapture, eyes stopping when they landed on Julian. He was looking at her with eyes as bright and pure as deep blue crystals, shining blue orbs that reflected her happy face. At that moment they held everything for her. Happiness and joy and her dreams.

He lifted a hand to her face, removing a petal that had landed on her cheek. And Jenny lifted her hand, holding it against her. Slowly she moved it down to her lips and placed a kiss right in the centre of his palm. "_let lips do what hands do_", she whispered softly, quoting Shakespeare again, as Julian drew her in close to his side.

She was loathe to ruin the moment again, but she had to. She had to know.

"Julian" she said again tentatively, continuing when he didn't stop her, "did I lose-, did I lose the game?"

He sighed softly before answering, "Yes" he said, "You lost"

"How? I reached the top of the cave and I opened the door. How did I lose?"

"You didn't lose that one. When you met the rest, you didn't realise it, but that was the final nightmare."

"But I didn't enter there through any door" she said, pulling away from him, her brows furrowed. "How was that a nightmare?"

Julian's lashes drooped before he answered, "I told you it was psychological Jenny, you couldn't know it was a nightmare. Your worst nightmare, all of your friends turning on you. The one thing you've dreaded for years."

She looked at him incredulously. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had thought it was _real._ Anger mounted through her as she relived what she had felt. The pain she had felt at having her friends turn on her, the heartbreak she had felt at them blaming her, taunting her. The utter loss she had felt as they turned their backs on her. And it was all a trick. A deception.

"How could you" she whispered slowly her eyes lowered. Slowly she raised them again, "You _cheated_"

" I never _cheat_" he said, his eyes glittering viciously.

Jenny could sense where this was going, could sense how this would end, but she couldn't help herself. She felt betrayed again. She had honestly believed that they had all turned on her, Dee, Zach, Summer, all blaming her and it wasn't _real. _It was Julian again.

"Yes you do" she said angrily, standing up and moving away from him, "You've cheated from the very first day I saw you, cheated, cheated, _cheated."_

She was crying now, rage and fury sweeping through her, her voice rising with every word she said.

"That's all you do, you _cheat._ You cheated at the games store, you cheated in the paper house, and you cheated when we played that _stupid_ chasing game. It's all you do. You can call it "_gamesmanship"_ if you like, but its all the same, _cheating."_

She advanced towards him again, agony shooting through her, "Why would you that? Why? Why would you this to _me_?"

"You want to know _why?"_ he said to her maliciously, standing up to meet her directly, "You want to know _why_ I started this game?" he said violently.

"Yes" jenny bit out furiously, trying to remove her wrist from his grasp. "I want to know why", she said again, stopping her useless struggles as her anger deflated, "I need to know why" she almost pleaded, looking at him through tear streaked eyes.

The very air was trembling around them as Jenny waited for an answer, waited for an explanation as to why he had made her feel as if her heart had been ripped from her chest. Finally he spoke,

"I did it for revenge."


	29. Chapter 29

_A/N: I am **so so soo sorry** about the delay. Work was insane the past couple of months! This chapter was really hard to write too, trying to take in 2 accounts of a story! Do review and let me know what you think! **And sorry again**!_

**Chapter 25**

The world shattered. Molten lava and hot dusty wind surged through the cracks that appeared on the ground; bubbling steaming blood oozing through deep gashes in the earths surface. The entire universe shuddered as the very seams of reality that held it together began to rip, stitch by stitch. 

At least – that's what it felt like.

It felt – very, very wrong. Like an alternate universe, or like one of those alternate endings that came as an extra on a DVD release. Any minute now she would see the White rabbit running past her, swinging its' clock back and forth in the air. She was Alice and Julian was… What? The Mad Hatter? No, the Cheshire Cat. That was more fitting. They both had the same grins at any rate. And the same smug countenance. Appearing and disappearing at will, taunting her with riddles, forcing her to chase after him and always, _always_ leaving her bereft and lost at the end.

Damn Cheshire Cats.

The thoughts swirled randomly through her mind, as soft and light as blossom petals in the wind. She wanted to speak, to say something befitting as a response but Jenny's mind was drawing a blank. There was a strange stillness about the moment. It was almost as if time itself had stopped at Julian's words, shocked into apathy, just like Jenny herself. 

She felt detached from herself, watching the scene from a distance. Oh it was a cliché, she knew, the whole "out of body experience" that people raved about when something drastic happened, proceeded by generic "spiritual" life alterations that tended to follow. But it really was happening. She could see herself standing barefoot in the grass, white shirt hanging loose against her jeans, hair flowing in rippling waves against her back, a look of pure shock etched on her face. 

And Julian, Standing in front of her, arms crossed protectively across his chest. Looking as sleek and as dangerous as a black panther. Blue eyes glinting viciously as he watched the impact his words had on Jenny. 

The sunlight that filtered through the trees lit the scene from behind like a stage-light. Casting a golden glow on Jenny's hair and glinting of the snow globe that was held loosely in her hand.

Jenny saw, rather than felt, the glass globe slip through her fingers and soar towards the ground, a blizzard of white petals swirling in its' midst, and the Jenny that was watching the scene, rather than acting it, screamed as it hurtled towards the ground - a silent protest against the loss of the one dream she wanted to hold on to.

The globe shattered, and time came rushing back in a noiseless whirl of confusion and just like that, Jenny was back in her own body. She stood stunned for a moment and then clarity began to rush back in. She looked at Julian and then glanced down at the remains of the snow globe.

Tiny shards of glass lay scattered on the ground like deadly glistening icicles, and in their midst, surrounded by a watery mix of glittery petals lay a small blond figurine, like a sacrifice. A Jenny shaped sacrifice. Which Jenny reasoned, was very fitting given the circumstances. 

Julian was still standing in the crossed arm protective stance, his eyes also lowered to the forest floor. A part of jenny wondered at his stance. What exactly was he protecting himself from? Her? What was she going to do? Launch her self at him? Appealing as that did sound she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle the repercussions if she did. Julian's snakelike agility wasn't a theory she wanted to test out right now.

Julian shifted his arms slightly and Jenny knew he was looking at her again, sighing slightly she raised her eyes to meet his, unwittingly crossing her arms to mirror his pose. A part of her wanted to cry again. The tears that had dried before, mainly out of shock, were threatening to spill out again. But now wasn't the time for histrionics. Hell if she had lost like Julian claimed she had, she had all eternity to feel sorry for herself, but right now she needed to be strong and get answers. The Dee-like voice in her head urged her on, telling her to be calm and collected.

Taking a deep breath, jenny shook her hair behind her and looked Julian square in the eyes. "Revenge?" she said quietly. 

Her voice shook a little as she spoke and her green eyes hardened a fraction to cover the tiny betrayal of emotion that slipped through.

Julian's' eyes drooped before swooping up to capture Jenny's' again. 

"Yes" he answered simply, uncrossing his arms and taking a step towards her. 

Automatically Jenny stepped backwards and she saw a flicker of something – almost amusement, pass through Julian's' eyes. Anger flashed through her.

"Care to explain further?" Jenny replied, her voice dripping with barely veiled contempt. 

Her fingernails were digging into her palms so hard she was sure she would leave scars. Little half moon scars dotted along the base of her palm. It might even look like art.

Julian bowed his head, a mocking smile playing on his lips. Walking back a few steps he sat down at the base of a blossom tree crossing his long legs in front of him. Idly picking up a blossom from the ground he twirled it in his hands, a contemplative look on his face. Jenny stood where she was her arms still crossed in front of her. She wouldn't let him get to her. She wouldn't.

The silence stretched on. Julian seemed content to just twirl the flower in his hands and Jenny was damned if she spoke first. Finally Julian spoke. 

"When I was reborn I remembered everything that had occurred in my past life." 

"You said as much before" Jenny interrupted sarcastically. She regretted it almost instantly. _Don't rise to the bait Thornton_.

Julian smiled sardonically at her. "Yes I did, didn't I? But its part of my "story" shall we say, so I'm sure you'll forgive my repetitiveness." 

He shot a mocking ice blue glance at her before continuing. "As I said, I remembered everything, from the very first game I played straight through to the moment before I died." 

He shot another Ice blue glance at her and this one pierced Jenny's heart. Digging her fingernails even deeper into her palms, Jenny kept her face like a mask. 

"I remembered everything about you. The way you looked when you were happy, the way you looked when you were sad or scared, the way I watched over you and protected you from _everything_. 

The way you _always_ noticed flowers, no matter how big or how small but yet failed to notice_ any _sign of danger.

I watched you while you slept, watching you fend of nightmares and embracing dreams. I remembered being in "_Love"_ with you. And that" Julian said, looking up at Jenny again, 

"was the one thing I couldn't understand. How could I be in love with you? Shadow men don't love. _I,_ don't love." 

There was viciousness in his voice now that Jenny could feel and her little fingers began tingling again in warning. A tiny part of her brain was telling her to run, to get away quickly. She was crossing a line now, Jenny knew, and once she crossed that line, there wasn't any going back. But the wheels were in motion now and there wasn't any hand brake. Where ever this story led, Jenny was going to have to go, just like an unwitting passenger in a run-away train.

"I remember the elders laughing at me in my previous life, calling me "blinded with love", and I agreed with them. Shadow Men don't love, we don't care about humans. All you are is games to us. I knew I had to find you again, see what it was about you that had me so enamoured. And it didn't prove to be very hard, you still had the ring on and it pulled me towards you. Like a moth to a flame" 

Julian smiled at his analogy, "Just like you drew me before" 

His tone was still nonchalant, carefree, but Jenny's heart was thudding wildly in her chest. It had been a bad idea to ask Julian what he meant. She didn't want to know anymore, she didn't. The primitive urge to flee was still drumming through her mind but Jenny was rooted to the spot, doomed like Prometheus to witness the gut-wrenching finish. 

Julian was continuing. "And then I saw you, every bit as beautiful as I recalled. The same golden hair, soft as honey, the same sun-kissed skin and sparkling green eyes. 

I recognised the others too, beautiful Deirdre and Audrey. And of course, _Tommy_. 

I remembered all of you, right down to the brain-less piece of fluff that makes up Summer. _But_, I couldn't see any reason why _I _would have loved _you._" 

He got up then, his movement fluid and catlike as he stalked towards Jenny.

"What was it about you that forced me to give up my life? That made me chase and hunt after you and forget everything else." He was circling her now, his movement slow and unhurried, moving in closer and closer with each step. 

"What was so _special_ about you?" 

He stopped directly in front of her, nostrils flared. Waves of anger drifted of him and Jenny couldn't meet his eyes. There was something so strong, so _alien_ reflected in them. Almost like – hate. 

"And that's why I decided to play this new game" Julian said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "For revenge."

Terror coursed through Jenny as the enormity of what Julian said swept through her. 

"Oh God" she whispered feebly, jerking back a few steps. He really did hate her. Everything he'd done, the game it was because he _hated_ her. _Oh God, Oh God._ How could she have been so stupid? Julian had come back into her life, after _dying_, and said he loved her and she automatically believed him. She hadn't even thought of the possibility that he might hate her, the concept not even crossing her mind. Was she that vain? How could she believe that he still loved her? If she thought about it rationally it was one of the most arrogant things she could have done. 

There she was, alive and happy, still with Tom while he _died for her._ And then he had been bought back, by the same people who _killed_ him, to a life which he had _hated. _And she still believed he _loved her?_. But she had been so hurt over Tom, so lonely. She had needed some one to comfort her, and then Julian was there – and she hadn't even questioned it.

She had just accepted it, and, _Oh God_, she had led the others straight into his trap. All of them. He had gotten revenge on all of them because of her. Jenny felt sick, she could feel her stomach clench and her throat constrict. Her entire body felt hot, covered in pinpricks of sweat. 

Julian was still standing in front of her, watching her and Jenny couldn't breathe. The closeness – the closeness was making her feel faint, any second now and she was going to cry or scream or collapse or – _something._ Her body was going to betray her, she knew it, it was going to let Julian know that he was hurting her so bad that she could barely stand. She just needed to get away from him. That's all. A little space and she'd be able to think again.

Stumbling back, Jenny put a little more distance between them and looked up feigning indifference. Julian was watching her interestedly, head slightly tilted as he gauged her reactions. Automatically Jenny straightened her back, determination surging through her. He may hate her, he might even kill her, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her weak.

He was standing with his arms crossed again, only this time it didn't look protective, it was a more assertive, confident stance.

"So you see Jenny" Julian said then, as if he'd never stopped talking, "That's why I started the game. But as I said before, I had to get to know you all again, and who better to manipulate first than the dumbest person in the group!" 

Julian smiled wildly then, almost gleefully. "You know" he said, continuing on his one sided conversation, 

"You really have to hand it to Tubby, for all of his feigned intelligence he is the stupidest out of the lot of you, even compared to Summer, and that really is saying something." 

Jenny just stared, a hard, venom filled stare. She wanted to strike him dead where he stood, but she stayed quiet. He was trying to goad her again, to get a reaction out of her, but she knew how he worked now and she _really_ wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. 

"We used to have these _long_ talks every night, me and Tubby. He'd pour out his tales of woe, how much he missed his daddy, how he wanted Audrey back, how Tom _really_ didn't want to be with you anymore." 

Jenny looked up at him sharply, disbelief on her face. He smiled wickedly at her reaction, moving closer again as he talked. 

"Oh he really did Jenny, in fact even _I_ knew about Tommy going away before you did! And this is the guy you wanted to spend your life with! You know I expected more from you. I mean _you_ were the girl that I died for, I was expecting something spectacular about you. But you left me disappointed." 

"Shut-up" jenny cried. 

She didn't want to listen to anymore. Toms betrayal combined with Julian's betrayal was more than she was able to handle. 

"I'm just telling you my story jenny, giving you what you asked for." 

"Shut-up" she said again, breathing in deeply. Hardly eloquent but she didn't give a damn anymore. 

"It's just home-truths Jenny, if you can't handle them you shouldn't have asked."

Closing the gap between them, Julian leaned forward, as if to whisper in her ear. 

"In fact Tommy even mentioned the cute southern girls he knew went to Ole Miss."

Undiluted rage swept through Jenny, as pure and deadly as fire. It coursed through her entire body, surging through her bloodstream like a deadly snake. Without even thinking, Jenny lifted her hand and slapped Julian. A hard slap, right across his left cheek.

At least – it should have been. 

Julian caught her hand and held it trapped in mid-air, his cat like reflexes stopping it just before it hit his cheek. "I've always told you not to mess with me" he said conversationally.

"Well maybe if you would ever just get lost, I wouldn't have to mess with you" Jenny replied angrily. She was insane, she knew, to say that, but what the hell; it couldn't really get much worse could it. "You are the one who started this whole little game if you remember so if you want someone to blame, blame yourself." 

Struggling, jenny tried to pull her hand out of his grasp, but he had it held in an iron grip. 

"Ah, but Jenny, you are the one who opened the closet door, just like Pandora with her box. Rule number one of the world, never open something if you don't know what's inside it." 

"Let go of my hand" Jenny replied, ignoring Julian's remark. 

Smiling lecherously, Julian lowered her hand, still holding it captive within his. Without loosening his grip, Julian turned it over to look at her palm. Slowly he began tracing circles on her palm, slow, soft touches, as light as butterfly wings, just barely touching her skin. Jenny could feel herself being drawn in, the movements, so soft, so featherlike, were lulling her senses, drawing all of her nerve responses so that it felt like the only part of her body that could feel was in Julian's hand. 

It was a – sensual feeling, sensual but meaningless. There was nothing behind the touch, Jenny knew that now. Julian hated her; the touch was merely his just-desserts – a way to pull her under his spell.

"You never did tell me Jenny" Julian whispered, still tracing the mesmerising circles on her palm, "Why you wore the ring, even after all the years." 

"Does it matter?" Jenny replied sadly.

The fight was going out of her now as the hopelessness of the situation began to sink in. She had lost, and now was bound forever to Julian, his to do with as he pleased, and, seeing as his feelings towards her weren't as friendly as before, she couldn't even begin to imagine what that could entail. And she had sacrificed the others. God, the others, she didn't even know where they were. 

"It doesn't matter" Julian replied cordially, "Call it curiosity" he said, flashing a smile at her. 

It was on the tip of Jenny's tongue to say that curiosity killed the cat, but she swallowed instead, "I'll tell you, if you just answer one question" she said, looking up expectantly at him. 

A brief smile flicked over Julian lips, "Ask away"

Nervously, Jenny swallowed again, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer to this either, but she had to ask - Call it curiosity. 

"The others, are they – are they still, they're not - are they alive?" Fear rushed in as she asked the question, _Don't let him say no, don't let him say no. _"They're not dead are they?" She continued in a rush, panic causing her voice to come out rushed, trembling. 

Julian looked at her calculatedly for a moment and Jenny felt like shaking him, if he didn't tell her now, she'd pass out or worse, try hit him with her other hand. 

"No" he said finally, "They're not dead…" 

"Oh" Jenny sagged in relief, but a part of her was still wound as tight as clockwork. 

The "yet" hung in the air like an ominous cloud.

"Now for your part of the deal" Julian said, glancing up at Jenny through heavy lidded eyes. 

His thumb had stopped its circular assault on her palm and was resting at the base of her ring finger, lightly pressing on the join between palm and finger. Jenny took a deep breath, 

"It was - I don't know, a symbol of goodness, selflessness. When you sacrificed yourself I – I felt so lost, how could some one _do_ something as selfless as what you did and _die?_"

Jenny was close to tears now, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't think I could live with the guilt. And then you said, _nothing really dies, if its not forgotten,_ and that's why I kept it, I had to, it was all I had left of _you_. And whenever I had a big interview, or a tough exam, I had it to help me and I – " 

Jenny's voice broke off. It was all out in the open. Everything she had felt at Julian's death, the guilt, the pain, the need to keep some part of him close to her. The tears began in earnest again and Julian kissed her. 

His left hand still held on to Jenny's hand, as his free hand came up to rest on her cheek, drawing her face towards his. Everything about the kiss was sweet. His lips brushing so softly against hers, gentle and reassuring, his hand tracing warmth down the side of her cheek as he held her in a soft embrace, gently wiping the stray tears that trickled from Jenny's eyes. Julian pulled away slowly, resting his forehead against Jenny's as he laced his hand through her hair. Tears were still streaming from jenny's eyes. 

"And I tried to do what you asked" she said softly, still sobbing, "every night I dreamed you to a place with light, every night." 

"Shhh I know, I know" Julian said, his lips brushing hers as he spoke. Lightly he drew back, placing a calming finger on her lips, and brushing away the remnants of the tears. 

"My plan Jenny, was to get revenge" Jenny nodded miserably, about to speak again, but Julian stopped her, "But, there was a flaw in the plan." 

Sighing deeply, Julian drew back, "My plan was to get to know all of you again, and I did. I got to know _you_ again Jenny, and that's where the plan failed. I fell back in love with you, and somehow the plan wasn't about revenge anymore, but you." 

Julian chuckled then, a slight sardonic smile crossing his face, "I guess history really does repeat itself."

Jenny just stared. The three-sixty turnabout was making her head spin. Was the ground really moving or was there some sort of trick of light going on. Or was Julian tricking her again. Was this another trick? Jenny slumped to the ground, her legs folding underneath her like paper. She fell with a thump, the bang restoring some sense of reality to her spinning mind. 

"What" she whispered, looking up at Julian. She knew Julian was subject to mercurial mood swings but this was just bizarre. 

"I don't believe you." She said finally, looking away from Julian. She didn't. everything she had gone through in the last twelve odd hours was weighing down on her now, all the fear and pain and loss, stabbing Tom, and drowning and pushing Dee over the edge, and it was just _enough_ now. She had had enough. No more now. Jenny felt as though she had come to some sort of on an emotional blockade and nothing else was going to get through. 

_Sorry, this ride is officially closed._

She sat on the ground, idly running the grass through her fingers. She was closing out the rest of the world, turning in on herself. She just needed to be alone. A little time-out, if you please. She heard Julian coming towards her, but it was a far-away sound, like she was hearing it from a distance. Kneeling in front of her, he laced a hand through her hair and gently turned her face to look up at him. Jenny stared up at his face impassively. God, she could have looked at that face forever. All those sculpted planes and angles, the curve of his finely curved cheekbone. But she felt nothing – just a hollow feeling, like she was empty. Out of fuel. The thought almost bought a smile to her lips. Almost.

She was aware of Julian's lips moving, just about rousing herself to make sense of the words. 

"I thought about what you said earlier." 

"What was that" Jenny said listlessly. 

"When you said you don't hurt the people you love." 

"Oh" Jenny said.

"But I'm a shadow-man, that's all I know Jenny." 

"I know" Jenny replied quietly. 

"That's why I'm letting you go."


	30. Chapter 30

_a/n: oh dear..you know its bad when you start having nightmares about not updating! I kid you not...! if its any comfort I've never been as stressed as this in work before... hope the chapter makes up for my looong absence!! forgive me one n all!_

**Chapter 26**

Jenny stared blankly. Julian's hands were weaved through her hair, fingers resting against her neck, a soft yet persistent pressure against the base of her skull. He was looking at her expectantly, a soft, searching look, as he waited for her response. She could tell he was anxious about her reply; there was a certain look in his eyes –apprehension perhaps? It was definitely uneasy – a shifty look, like a child waiting to be told off after misbehaving.

She nearly told him to relax and just _breathe_, but she couldn't speak, didn't _want _to speak, not just yet anyway. And besides, it didn't really matter, she wasn't even sure if Julian _needed _to breathe. He was created out of shadows and air after all. Did shadows need to breathe, _could_ they breathe? And if they didn't breathe, then how did he get oxygen for his blood to circulate?

Because he had a heart that pumped, Jenny remembered. She heard it whenever he held her close; he was so tall that her head rested just above his chest, near to his heart, the steady rhythmic beat of it comforting and scaring her at the same time.

The minutes dragged on and now she could see a different look in his eyes, concern, worry even. She was worrying him. It was a little amusing, although she couldn't really blame him; Julian had made a pretty explosive statement, one that should have provoked, if not a shouting reaction, a mildly questioning one at least. But she was just sitting there, slumped on the ground as she had fallen, hands swishing listlessly through the grass and green eyes staring lifelessly up at him.

She probably looked mad, and if she was brutally honest with her self, she probably had gone mad, a little bit anyway. And little wonder; She had spent the last 12 hours or so, fighting her subconscious. Drowning, fighting monsters, witnessing genocide. She had stabbed someone and sent another plunging to their death and she herself had had a heart attack. That's what it had felt like anyway, when her friends turned on her. Her heart had felt like it was being twisted. So yes, she was mad now, but it was _damn well_ justified, she _deserved_ to be mad, she had officially earned it.

Besides, if she thought about it rationally, what was there to say? He was letting her go. Fine, great, do that, what was she supposed to say about it? It's not like she had a choice in the matter.

Julian wasn't asking her anything, he hadn't turned to her and said, "Jenny, I'm letting you go now, that all right?"

He never asked her anything. It was such an echo of her past that Jenny almost smiled. She had asked him that before, "_Couldn't you just have asked me_?" and Julian's soft, knowing smile as he replied. "_Not exactly."_

She had never asked him what he had meant, Jenny realised. But then there had never been time, she had always been doing something else, locking him in a closet, or coaxing clues out of him or walking through fire, or waking up from nearly drowning. There had never been time to just sit and talk.

Jenny wished there had been; she could picture it now, her and Julian sitting over coffee, discussing movies and books and art and why Joey didn't pick Dawson. They had such opposing viewpoints it would have made for a very interesting conversation, but still – she was digressing now.

"Jenny" Julian said finally, his hands slipping down to rest on her shoulders, squeezing them lightly.

She could see his eyes narrow, a brief flicker of annoyance flashing through them. So the king of mood changes was having another turn, so what? Julian was capricious by nature, the mood swings didn't bother her anymore – and besides she was mad now – she didn't have to answer.

Sighing deeply Julian untangled his hand from Jenny's hair and stood up, slowly walking away from her. He had his back to her and from the corner of her eye Jenny watched as he ran two hands through his hair, pushing his hair back from his eyes in one frustrated move. It was such an uncharacteristic gesture that Jenny was surprised. It was openly vulnerable – and so _normal._ Such a _human_ gesture, that it shocked Jenny into speaking.

"What exactly do you mean?" she said finally, her voice dull and flat.

Her legs were beginning to ache underneath her and slowly Jenny twisted and crossed them in front of her, relishing the relief that ran through them.

"I mean" Julian said, turning to face her, "that I'm letting you go – giving you you're freedom."

His tone was quietly mocking and slow, as if he was talking to a child.

"I gathered as much" Jenny replied, her tone mimicking his,

"But what exactly does it entail? Nothing comes for free with you. What do I have to do, give you my dreams, my first-born child, what?"

Julian's eyes narrowed dangerously but his voice remained steady, almost offhand as he replied, "Do you honestly believe me to be so cruel?"

"Have you ever given me reason to doubt?" She was speaking carelessly, deliberately seeking to wound, ignoring the fact that he had, in the past, given her one _major_ reason to doubt.

"No, I don't suppose I have" Julian replied, his voice not losing any of its candour, "But as it stands you're freedom wont cost you anything."

"So there is a first time for everything then" Jenny replied sarcastically.

She was being consciously acerbic, a trait that was almost un-natural to her, but there was something, some feeling deep inside that was goading her, making her strike out, seeking to wound, seeking revenge. Julian smiled, feigning amusement, but there was a tightness in the way his lips drew back that suggested otherwise, the smile resembling a distended grimace. The wolfish easiness that Julian naturally carried around with him was missing, and in its place a more pained countenance reflected.

"Yes" he said swiftly, affecting nonchalance. "There is a first time for everything."

Jenny looked at him surprised, curiosity subduing the anger that was swirling around in her.

"So I can go home and you won't ask for anything in return?"

Julian didn't reply, his head dipping slightly instead, in answer to her question. He was looked at her through luminous eyes as his words finally sunk in. He was letting her go, giving her her freedom. No more shadows, no more nightmares, no more running.

"I cant" she said, "I cant go."

She could see Julian looking at her in surprise, blue eyes widening slightly, almost imperceptibly at her words.

"I mean," Jenny rushed to explain, "I cant go without my friends, I wont, I cant leave them here."

Something brief flickered in Julian's eyes, and then it was gone, his gaze once more dead-pan as he regarded her.

"I guess I wasn't clear, when I said Im letting you go, I meant all of you. You and your friends."

Jennys eyes widened, her brows creased in confusion, She didn't bother trying to hide her shock, she knew it was written plainly on her face. She never had been one to practice artifice brilliantly, the only time she had done, was when she tricked Julian into the closet, and even that had been a terrifying experience. Her heart had been beating so fast she was sure Julian would discover her true purpose. But that was when he was trying to claim her, this was different. This time he was relinquishing all claim and letting them all go free so Jenny didn't need to hide.

"All of us?" she said, almost afraid to say it in case she had misheard. She almost expected Julian to say "No" or "Aprils fools" or _something._ But he just stared at her through hooded lids, mouth curved in an indiscernible smirk.

"You'll let me and Dee and Audrey and Summer go? And Michael and Zach?

And Tom? You'll let Tom go?"

Blue lightening flashed though his eyes at Tom's name, but still he nodded in agreement.

"Yes, all of you, I don't think I can make it any clearer than that."

"But why?" Jenny said shocked.

Her neck was beginning to ache from staring up at Julian for so long and she scrambled to her feet, her eyes still reflecting astonishment. Julian laughed openly at her question, an amused smirk curving his lips. His eyes glittered at her under his heavy lashes but there was something hollow about the sound, a haunting quality that didn't quite match his jovial air.

"Because" he said, "I need a break."

Jenny's feeling of shock turned to incredulity, her eyebrows shooting up.

"A break?"

"Yes" Julian said again, his mono-syllabic answers grating against Jenny's patience.

"A break from what" she said snappily.

The feeling that had plagued her before returned full force, twisting her insides, making her want to shake Julian, or rip him limb from limb, she couldn't decide. It was a –dark feeling, she couldn't quite place her finger on what it was but it was directed solely at Julian.

"From you" he replied simply.

Jenny shut her eyes in disbelief, her fingers clenching at her sides in an attempt to restrain her anger. Julian may as well have been speaking in riddles for all the sense he was making. Taking a deep breath she opened her eyes, trying to regain a sense of calm, but the feeling that was lurking in her was getting stronger, it was close to gaining control of her, she could feel it snaking through her rational thoughts, spurring her on, urging her to lash out.

"A break from me" she said finally, her voice sounding high-pitched and tinny, even to her.

And then inexplicably she began to laugh. A loud, hysteric noise that rebounded of the small trees, creating echoes in the distance that boomeranged back creating an orchestra of distorted sounds in the small clearing. He wanted a break from her. From her! He had stalked her since she was five, had kidnapped her close to three times now, had forced her to play his psychotic games and he wanted a Break from HER!! The situation was just so dementedly absurd that Jenny couldn't help it, the laughter spilled out of her in a deluge of raw emotion. Her entire body shook with the effort, eyes tearing as her face screwed up in mirth and her breath caught.

And then suddenly it stopped, ending as abruptly as it started, leaving Jenny feeling empty, bereft, drained. Numbly she wiped the wetness from her eyes, un-blurring her vision. The silence in the clearing felt oppressive now, un-natural in the aftermath of her out-burst. Julian stood casually, watching impassively as she composed herself. Jenny hiccupped softly, even if it served no other purpose, the laughter had calmed her, chasing away the insidious feeling that had been clawing her. Now she felt more like her self. Slightly.

Softly, she spoke again, "What do you mean by break?"

Julian regarded her for a moment, and then pulled himself out of his leaning position, walking slowly towards Jenny. He stopped a few feet from her, head leaning gently to one side as he judged her mood.

"You've been my obsession for so long Jenny. For years I've been watching you, protecting you, wanting you. The chase led to my own destruction. You would think that with my second chance I'd let you go, but even now I'm not immune to you. You snared me again, from the moment you said "hello" I was caught, trapped in your web, unable to get out, resorting back to whatever means I could to get you."

He had moved closer to jenny as he spoke, vehemence drifting off him in waves, and Jenny stood in terrified shock. She had never thought of why Julian had sought after her as he had. She had never wondered what it felt like for him, what effect she had on him. Now she knew, and it terrified her. She hadn't known. Hadnt wanted to know. She had never even thought about it before, but now she knew.

She was as toxic to him as he was her.

"That's why I have to let you go. To get away from you. Youre like poison in my blood, swirling through me till all I can think of is you. An addiction I won't ever be able to get enough off."

Jenny winced, the words cutting through her as he moved closer again, bridging the gap between the two of them, his eyes glowing like deep luminous jewels, so frighteningly beautiful that Jenny couldn't meet them and she looked away, nervously hugging herself. The sky had darkened around them, turning a murky, melancholy grey. The breeze felt colder, causing Jenny to shudder as it swept over her.

Something soft dripped on her face, pausing momentarily on her cheek before slipping silently down the curve of her face. Jenny wiped it away absently, surprised as her hand came away damp. Looking up she realised slowly it was raining. Soft gentle rain descended from the grey skies, as light as mist, falling on the delicate blossom trees and flowing to the ground in long slow drips.

It was such a lonely, despondent sight; the trees seemed bent over with the weight of the rain, their delicate, flower laden branches drooping towards the ground as if in mourning. Crying, Jenny thought abstractly, they look like they're crying. She was staring at the trees, when Julian spoke again.

"Do you know the story of Icarus?"

Numbly she nodded, she could briefly remember the story, something to do with fake wings. She was still looking at the trees, they looked so despondent, weighed down with some solemn knowledge, a burden too heavy for them to bear.

" There was a father and son, Icarus and Dedalus, exiled to Crete by the great King Minos. The punishment was severe. They were cut off from Greece, from its beauty and warmth and light.

So Deadulus invented wings by which he and his son could escape Crete. Soaring through the skies, no one would be able to stop them. Just before they took off, Deadalus warned his son not too fly too close to the sun, for the wings were made of wax and would melt in its' searing heat.

But Icarus became so overcome with the beauty of the sun that he flew higher and higher, paying no heed to his fathers warnings. Closer and closer he flew, enraptured with the dazzling light. And all the while his wings were melting, the suns strength turning the wax into liquid.

One by one the feathers disappeared, and Icarus, blinded by the sun, fell to the deep sea below."

Julians voice had dropped to a whisper now, barely audible over the slow drip of the rain on the forest floor.

"That's what you are to me Jenny. The blinding sun. But I cant chase you anymore. I cant force you."

Jenny felt the tears build up behind her eyes. He was so close, she could feel the heat of his breath against her hair, but she couldn't stop looking at the trees. The poor crying trees. Their tears falling on the forest floor in a soft watery dance, branches whispering in the breeze, brushing against each other causing the drops to sway and converge like they were trying to say something, a secret code, something Jenny needed to know.

Finally she turned to look at Julian, he was so close that there faces were inches apart, if she leaned in even slightly they'd be touching. She looked up to meet his eyes and it was then she knew for certain what the trees were saying. What the beautiful crying trees were trying to say. What Jenny needed to know.

"You want me to stay don't you?" she whispered, certainty rising with each word. "You want me to stay off my own free will."

Julian just stared at her, his eyes deep dark endless circles. And then she was kissing him. Kissing him with fervour and an abandon she had never felt before. He was asking her to stay, he didn't want her gone, he didn't want her to go, he wanted her to stay and she was laughing even as she cried, large silent tears dripping from her cheeks mingling with the raindrops that fell, forming rivulets down her face, but she didn't care, the only thing that felt real right now was Julian, and she clung to him like she couldn't let go.

And he was kissing her back just as feverishly, smoothing his hands down her wet hair, wrapping his hand around her waist, drawing her in closer to him. And Jennys arms wrapped around his black shirt, slick with rain, wanting never to be parted from his arms.

Julian broke the kiss first, pulling back to look Jenny in the eyes.

"Stay with me" he whispered, his voice so gentle, so tender.

As soft as the misty rain that fell around them, and as melodious, like water over rock, just the way it had sounded when she first heard it in the More games store. A surge of joy swept through her, he was asking her, _he was asking her!_ Through all of the nightmares and all of the shadows, she knew that this was the one thing she had been waiting for.

Gently she placed her hands on his face, cupping it between her fingers. His hair was wet, grazing the back of his black shirt and sticking to the sides of his face, lightly Jenny swept them back, smoothing the wet strands back then, sighing, she leaned her head against his, forehead to forehead.

The tinkling noise of the rain echoed around them, such a peaceful, haunting melody of rain drops and rustling leaves and Jenny wished that she could just stay here, in this magical dreamlike glade, forever. Just her and Julian, it would be their boon, their reward for everything they had been through.

They could live here happily for years. The days would be sunny and the nights dark and starry; flowers would bloom year round and there wouldn't be any pain, or strife, or hate. No news clippings of war, or tragedy or hunger – just peace.

And Julian.

Forever.

They could stay here, in this in-between haven, safe from the creatures of the shadow lands, safe from earth and its heart wrenching complexities and safe from time and its wearying, destructive nature.

But what would happen to her if she stayed? Would she grow old and grey, passing away and leaving Julian behind? Or would his magic help her to stay eternally youthful, young and beautiful forever?

The thought in itself was worrying. There was passion between them now, but how long would it last? Passion and love, like everything else, was at the mercy of times hands. She had witnessed it with her own parents. They loved each other still, but the fiery passion they had displayed in her childhood had mellowed, replaced with a more sedate, tranquil relationship, one that had been tweaked and honed over the years as its' bearers changed.

And where would they stay? As much as she longed too, eternity in the forest wasn't exactly ideal. But she couldn't exactly invite Julian to earth. He was by nature destructive, born of a race that had no emotions, no remorse, Machiavellian wickedness in place of blood.

Oh, Julian was different yes, but he was bound by his heritage; doomed to become like the elders, distorted, malign creatures of the dark. He had no choice; he was bound, just as she was bound by the limits of mortality.

And if she was honest, she wanted to be bound, she wanted to witness first hand the changes that time brought, to experience the grace of age and leave behind her own legacy. Just like Aba, Dee's grandmother, the most graceful person she knew; her idol. If there was anyone she had ever hoped to emulate, to live up too, it was Aba. Would she be able to do that from here?

And children, she wanted children more than anything, a little blonde haired girl, her own little doppelganger to raise, care for and cherish. She couldn't have that if she stayed here either.

And that's when Jenny really knew. She couldn't stay. No matter how much she wanted to, or how much Julian wanted to. She couldn't, they were too different - worlds apart, literally.

But she loved him, she loved him so much – how could she let him go? Jenny knew, if she said no now, she would never see Julian again. He had been serious when he said he wanted to break – it would be permanent, a permanent separation.

She was crying again, clutching his face in between her palms, holding his head captive against hers as her body heaved with tears. She had to leave, she knew she did, but she wasn't able to speak. She just needed to stay a little bit longer, just a little bit.

Her hands moved from his face to his hair, the wet strands slipping through her fingers as she grasped him harder, closer to her. They were still standing forehead to forehead, noses touching, as the rain fell around them. It had gotten heavier, jenny noticed, the drops larger, more frequent than before.

"Jenny", Julian said finally, pulling back from her embrace.

She could see the question in his eyes, those beautiful sapphire eyes, as gentle as a May morning, as deep as the Nordic fjords, as hard as ice. But she couldn't reply. She was looking at his hair, the way it fell over his eyes, the colour of it against his black shirt, remembering the silky feel of it between her hands, the way it felt against her skin.

Memorising it.

She saw the realisation in his eyes before she even said anything. They went dark, a murky deep blue, before his lashes drooped, covering their crystal fire.

"Im sorry" she said, "Im so sorry".

She hugged him again, clasping her hands around his face, wanting him to meet her eyes so he could see her pain – and her guilt. Slowly he nodded, lifting his eyes to meet hers. His jaw was set in determination, it reflected in his stance and in the air around them. It got colder, the rain even heavier than before, the noise as loud as thunder. She went to speak again, but he silenced her.

Slowly he leaned his head down, capturing her mouth in a kiss, soft and gentle. It grew more passionate, more fiery as the minutes passed, there lips moving in a sombre dance of pain and loss – and love. She never wanted it to end, they were so close, she wished it could last forever, her and Julian, their souls uniting as one – and then the black came.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 27**

The darkness enveloped her, festering and lingering in even the darkest recesses of her mind. And it was cold, _so_ cold, like there was an icy breeze ripping and storming around her. Then it stopped and for a while she was just floating, settling in the hazy in-between place of dreams where everything was sharp and yet un-focused at the same time - and there were colours, so many colours - and so bright, but they were morphing and merging and combining, running together so they looked like little more than different shades of grey. It reminded her of something –, about nothing ever being black and white, something Julian had said to her before.

Julian.

Consciousness came slowly, creeping up on her hesitantly like a timid child before tentatively rousing her from her dream-like state. She awoke grudgingly, her mind still fuzzy and drifting. Slowly self-awareness began to sink in. She was lying on something cold and hard. _Mexican paver tiles,_ Jenny thought abstractly, _I'm at home, I'm okay_ – but the floor felt wrong, it was all smooth –like wood.

Like the hardwood floor in Audrey's beach house.

The beach house, Jenny thought with a jolt as full realisation seeped in. She was back at the beach house. But for how long? How long had she been back? She couldn't remember, she had been in the cherry blossom orchard with Julian, and they had been kissing – and then she was here. Her eyes were sticky and crusted from dried tears. Stale tears, which meant she had been back for a long while.

But she could still feel the kiss, his lips against hers, so soft yet persistent at the same time, moving so slowly against hers. Unconsciously jenny licked her lips, running her tongue across them and slowly drawing the last remnants of Julian's lips into her mouth. Holding it within her – making it a part of her. He hadn't let her say goodbye she thought sadly, but perhaps it was better, there had been nothing left to say, no point in prolonging the inevitable – no matter how pleasurable or heartbreaking it would have been.

Sighing deeply Jenny stretched and turned on to her side. It was so quiet, the tick of the living room clock the only sound in the dark room. Suddenly Jenny stiffened. It was quiet, _far too quiet_ and she jumped up, her limbs screaming at the sudden jerking movement, mirroring the silent scream inside her brain. And then she relaxed, releasing her breath slowly to calm her beating heart.

They were all there, six motionless forms on the ground around her; stationed in the same places they had been when they had started the game. Julian had kept his word.

It was – disconcerting, being the only one awake, it felt like she was witnessing something personal, spying on her friends when they were at their most vulnerable. A small shiver of apprehension rippled over her, but she quickly shrugged it off. She herself wasn't hurt, her hands and knees weren't grazed and it was doubtful that the rest were left with their injuries. They probably just weren't awake yet – simple as that.

It was still dark outside, the living room clock showing six am. Gradually Jenny could see the sky lighten over the horizon. Dawn was approaching. For a while she sat on the floor just looking outside, watching as the sky went from inky black to pale blue to gold tinted. She couldn't remember feeling anything, or thinking about anything. She just – was at the moment, and it was enough. The first rays of the rising sun hit the room and Jenny moved. Rising to her feet she left the others sleeping and walked into the kitchen.

The tiles were cold on her feet and she hazily remembered she was still barefoot, God she couldn't even remember how long ago she had lost her shoes. It felt like ages ago, a distant memory, even though in reality it was probably only a couple of hours. Still she regretted kicking of her shoes now, those had been her favourite pair of Docs. At the same time though, she didn't care, they were just shoes, replaceable, unlike…

Mechanically Jenny walked over to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water. She wasn't really thirsty, she wasn't really sure if she would ever be _anything_ again, but the normalcy of the motions was comforting and easy, and it stopped her from thinking. The water flowed into her stomach like ice, leaving a cool trail down her throat as she swallowed and she felt an overpowering need to retch, the sensation leaving her queasy. It was the lack of food her mind reasoned. She hadn't eaten in what? 15 to 16 hours maybe. Drawing deep breaths Jenny walked over to the sink. She let the hot water flow through her fingers for a few minutes before splashing some on her face, pressing down on her eyes, washing the dried tears and stickyness away. The queasy feeling receded and Jenny turned the tap off, wiping her face on the hand towel folded on the rail.

She felt a little more human now, conscious thought returning slowly and she was struck with two thoughts. The first was that she was hungry. The second was that the other weren't awake yet. Jenny didn't want to panic, she didn't want to face any strong emotion right now but still dread was slowly beginning to rise up in her. Clenching her fists by her side she walked back into the living room gazing down on her friends sleeping. The morning sun was streaming into the room lighting up the dust motes as they twinkled gently in the air. Cautiously she walked over to Dee. Dee's arm was thrown over her face as if blocking out the light. Crouching down beside her Jenny gently lifted the slender arm away from her face, holding the strong hand in her own.

"Dee" she said softly, shaking her lightly with her free hand. "Dee wake up."

Her administrations were met with silence and she was really beginning to panic now. She couldn't stop herself from automatically thinking the worst.

_Oh God Julian sent them back dead, I was wrong he didn't save them, I never even asked if he was sending them back unharmed. _

"Dee" she said again, her voice louder, more urgent.

For a minute the silence reigned, near suffocating her and then, miraculously, Dee groaned. Or snorted, Jenny wasn't sure which but either way she made a noise and if she made a noise then she wasn't dead and she didn't have to blame Julian anymore.

On some level she was a little ashamed of herself. Despite everything she automatically presumed the worst from Julian. She wasn't quite sure she would be able to forgive herself for it. But that was something to be dealt with later right now her attentions were focused on her friends. Dee stirred and mumbled, pulling her hand out of Jennys clasp as she slowly gathered her bearings. Jenny moved back to give Dee space, crossing her legs underneath as she sat on the floor.

"Hi" she whispered as Dee turned to look at her.

Staring at jenny for a few moments Dee's face eventually broke into a wide smile.

"Well done Tiger, _knew_ you had it in you!" her voice groggy but exuberant.

Jenny stared blankly, unsure what Dee was talking about and then it sunk in. _Oh_ she thought, _she thinks I won._.

"All right!" Dee said in delight "we're all back, way to go sunshine!" and she stood up gazing around her and it was as if a spell was broken as one by one the rest began to stir as well.

Jenny watched from where she was sitting. One by one the all rose, all with same expression of joy. Everyone was talking loudly and there was a lot of slapping on backs and the odd hoot here and there and the "way to go Jenny" shouted every now and then. Everyone except for her and Zach were talking, Jenny realised. But then it was Zach, it was too be expected, the rest hadn't noticed her absence yet and she was glad of it. The pretence would have been too much to handle.

"Oh God I could kill for a coffee" Audrey groaned flopping into an armchair near to where Jenny sat. Jenny turned to smile up at her, "I could too" she agreed wholeheartedly.

Audrey smiled back but for some reason Jenny felt it didn't quite reach her eyes. But she held out a hand to Jenny "Up then Jen-bean, of to coffee we go" and Jenny dismissed the look in her eyes as tiredness.

Pretty soon the smell of coffee had drawn the rest into the kitchen and they crowded around the polished wooden table drinking the coffee and making toast from bread they had bought on their way down to Laguna. Jenny finished the last bite of her toast and sipped the hot coffee to wash it down. She definitely felt more alive now. The food was like a welcome blanket in her stomach and the coffee was hot and strong. There was a relative measure of calm as everyone ate but she knew it wouldn't be long before the questions started, and Jenny wasn't sure she wanted to answer any just now. Gulping the last of her coffee down, she mumbled an excuse about needing a shower and fled from the kitchen hoping the rest didn't find it too unusual.

Stripping of her clothes Jenny stepped into the shower letting the water run over her aching body. She didn't have any bruises or cuts but her body still hurt, her muscles strained tight. Shutting her eyes, Jenny tilted her head letting the water rain down on her face. Again she found that she didn't feel anything. She was just living in the right now, just being and there was no room for emotions.

Slowly she shampooed her hair, lathering, rinsing and repeating as usual, but still nothing. The shampoo got in her eyes and Jenny washed it out –and still nothing.

Wrapping a towel around herself Jenny picked her clothes up from the floor and walked into the bedroom. For a while she sat on the edge of the bed, her wet hair dripping down her back and onto the sheets – still nothing.

It was like she was one big empty void, just a shell. Eventually she felt cold and she got up, walking over to her rucksack for clean clothes. Drying herself thoroughly she slipped the clothes on, leaving her dirty ones in a pile on top of the rucksack. She would sort that out later. Plugging the hairdryer into the socket Jenny dried her hair, coaxing her fingers through the knots, lifting the hair from the base of her neck and blasting it with hot air. She tied it into a simple French braid when it was dry, securing it at the ends with a band she found in Audreys mothers dresser. Somewhere along the journey she made last night she had lost the one she had but she was pretty sure Audrey wouldn't mind if she took this one. She stared at herself in the mirror for a bit. Her skin was pale, her green eyes looked hollow, her cheek bones looked prominent. It was, she thought listlessly, as if the life had been sucked out of her. But, there was nothing to do about it now and absentmindedly Jenny shrugged at the thoughts in her mind and left the room to find the others.

She found Summer and Zach in the kitchen, munching on toast and sipping coffee refills. "Hey Jenny" Summer chirped, "more coffee? I just made a new pot."

Smiling warmly Jenny declined, but then on second thought she accepted. She wanted something warm, even if it was just to hold. Taking a new cup Jenny walked to the living room. She wasn't exactly sure why she was walking there. Everything she was doing felt so mechanical. Her body was directing and her mind followed without question. Dee and Michael were slumped on the floor, leaning against the sofa. Tom was sitting in the loveseat, his back against the sun streaming in through the window. Jenny glanced up at him nervously.

His eyes caught hers for a moment and for a moment understanding passed between them. Inwardly Jenny sighed, the thought of having to have a long, dragged out, _thoughtful_ conversation was draining. But it was one that needed to be done. She snuggled on to the sofa that Dee and Michael were leaning against, sipping the hot coffee in her hand. Eventually they were joined by the rest, Zach and Summer bringing in a fresh tray of toast and Audrey carrying the fresh coffee pot. There was silence for a few minutes.

They were all sitting in a sort of semi-circle. In the middle was the elegant wooden coffee table and on top was the paper house. It was Dee that broke the silence first. "I can honestly say I will never get greater pleasure from anything once I do this." In one lithe movement she rose from the floor and strode over to the coffee table. Before Jenny could react she had smashed the house with one powerful fist.

"I suggest" Dee said, a wicked smile lighting up her face, "that we get a bonfire going on the beach soon". Jenny looked around the room. There was consensus on each and every face. "Im agreed" Audrey said, "as soon as I shower and change." "And then home." Jenny said quietly. Inexplicably she wanted nothing more than to just go home. "Yeah" Summer said just as softly.

There was a general flurry of movement in the house as everyone prepared to leave. Dishes to be washed, beds turned out, showers taken, and rubbish disposed off. Jenny was vaguely aware of the actions but she was left sitting on the couch cradling the now cold cup of coffee. Mercifully the others had sensed her mood and had left her alone. She wasn't sure if she wanted to burn the house. She wasn't sure if it deserved to be burned. A part of her wanted to keep it. But that was akin to madness, and she could just imagine the look on Dee's face.

It was Audrey that roused Jenny from her seat. "Jenny" she said softly, we're more or less packed up, will I pack up your clothes?" her tone was soft, caring, like she was talking to a child. Jenny shook her head, standing up she said, "No, no, its fine I got it. Thanks though."

She walked into the master room, pulling her rucksack up from the corner. Roughly she stuffed her clothes inside. The cardboard like jeans and the dirty white shirt. Right now she wanted nothing more than to never see them again. She stuffed the yellow silk dress on top zipping the bag shut with more force than was necessary. Hoisting the bag up over her shoulder she walked out towards the car, depositing the sack in the back of Audreys beetle.

They walked down to the beach in one single line, Jenny bringing up the rear. It felt like a funeral procession, which was fitting Jenny reasoned seeing as they were sending the house to its own funeral pyre. The day was warm, a light breeze from the ocean cooling the air around them. Jenny sat on the sand arm in arm with Summer. The fire was built quicker than she anticipated. It was like the eagerness to burn had spurred the rest on.

Solemnly they stood around the fire in a circle. "I think" Dee said coming over the Jenny with the remains of the paper house, "That you should be the one to burn this."

Silently Jenny took the remains from her. In a way she agreed. She had started it, she had to finish it. Dee handed out the paper dolls one by one aswell, handing Jenny the grotty Jenny-doll last. Taking one last look at the house, Jenny raised her hand and flung it into the fire.

She felt nothing.

The fire slowly grabbed at the paper, wrapping fiery tendrils around the paper, turning it black as it slowly devoured it – still nothing.

Now all that was left was the paper dolls. Jenny spared herself one last look at hers, her eyes taking in the once yellow coloured hair that had gone brown and dirty with age, the coloured green eyes that had smudged, the crumpled and creased body. It looked like what Jenny felt. Holding it out by the feet, Jenny pushed the head into the fire, watching as the flames licked around the paper. She held it in her hand as it burnt watching as the hair disappeared, then her eyes, then her torso, then her legs. As the fire reached her fingertips she let it drop to the sand below, watching as the crinkled bits of paper crumbled into ash in the wind, floating the last bits of the Jenny-doll away.

She felt nothing.

It was hitting noon. Michael and Audrey had gone back to the condo to phone home. The group were supposed to have returned home yesterday evening, their parents were probably frantic at the moment. Jenny sat on the beach watching the last of the bonfire burn out when she looked up to see Tom looking at her. Imperceptibly she nodded her head. It was time to talk. Getting up slowly she walked over to Tom.

"Want to go for a walk?" she said simply. Tom extended a hand in answer and together they walked away from the fire. They walked for about ten minutes in silence before Jenny realised where she was taking them. Up ahead she could see the rock that had jutted into the water _that night. _

"Why don't we stop up there" Jenny said softly. Leaning against the rock, Jenny dug her feet into the sand. The tide was out and the rock was far away from the water. The silence was getting a bit uncomfortable now and neither of them were talking. Eventually Jenny started.

"I'm sorry about stabbing you" she said quietly. "You came to save me and I did that to you. I – I don't even know if sorry is the right word to use, but I am."

Tom just looked at her. "That wasn't your fault Jen" he said slowly. "That was just circumstance."

Jenny nodded slowly. "About Ole Miss," she said looking at Tom. "I know you're going and honestly, I think you should go."

"But?" Tom ventured.

Jenny shook her head. "But nothing, I really think you should go."

Tom took a deep breath, looking out over the ocean. "What about us?" he asked.

This was the part Jenny was dreading. But it was better to get it out. "I think, that perhaps, we should, just, you know, take a break."

Tom turned to look at her questioningly. "You think?" he said. "Jen this isn't because of what I said the other night, because I was just – confused or- I don't know" he said sighing.

There was a brief pause as Jenny took it in. She was fairly sure Tom still did want to break up, but didn't want to hurt her. But how could he not know? There was a time when they had been able to read each other like books. And now, they were like strangers. The realisation only strengthened her resolve.

"No its not because of what you said," she replied finally. "I think this has been a long time coming. We were so young Tom, _so _young. We know everything there is to know about each other, but theres just –something missing now."

Tom looked at her again, his eyes searching hers. She could see the agreement in his eyes. "Maybe if we had met later in life.." he said slowly and Jenny smiled.

"No, I wouldn't change anything. You were the best friend I could ever have had. You still are." Gently she took his hand, lacing his fingers through hers. "Promise me you'll stay my friend?"

"Its already a given Thorny" Tom replied back, tightening his fingers around her own.

"And you can tell me about anything okay?" jenny replied happily. "Like mean professors or – weird room mates!"

It had been on the tip of her tongue to say "Other Girls" but she stopped herself in time. It didn't seem appropriate given the moment. It was strange though, how she wasn't upset about the breakup. They had been together nearly 15 years and instead of sadness she just felt – relief.

"Done" Tom was saying, "and you too, I want to know everything."

It was strange too, Jenny mused, how they felt they had to reassure each other about still being a part of each others life. It was – weird, but good. The sense of relief was strange thought, she couldn't put her finger on it – but she felt free. Then she remembered something else about the game and suddenly the nightmare seemed a little bit more clear.

"Tom, in the game, the only way you could have entered that room was if something about the nightmare was your fear too. Which means…"

"That I dreamt of getting stabbed by you!?" Tom said jokingly.

"No!" jenny replied mock-seriously. "But still" she said, pensive again. "But part of it has to be your fear. I think I understand my part of it now."

"What was it?" Tom asked.

"I think I felt suffocated, repressed by- "

"By me" Tom finished,

"By you."

"What about my part then?" absentmindedly jenny chewed on her bottom lip while she thought. "Maybe you felt like you were constantly saving me or something?" Glancing thoughtfully at her, Tom grinned.

"Maybe it's a good idea we're breaking up then?" "Maybe!" Jenny agreed, breaking into the first genuine smile of the day.

She felt something.

"Shall we head back?" Tom asked extending his hand to her. Accepting it they walked back arm in arm to the condo. Audrey was in the last stages of locking up the house.

" There you are" she said perfunctorily, "We're all ready to leave, anybody need anything before I lock up?" she called out,

"No? okay here goes" Audrey said twisting the key as the door locked with a click.

Piling into separate cars they drove out of the drive, Jenny twisting in her seat to get one last look at the condo.

She felt something.

* * *

_A/N: Well thats been a long time in coming! what can I say other than sorry! yes the story is coming to an end, 1 more chapter left and im afraid thats it!! really hope u like this chapter!! let me know!_


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 28**

Parking the car outside Dee's house, Jenny carefully picked up the small wrapped packaged from the passenger seat and walked up the paved path to the front door. "Hey" she said, as Dee opened the door, "You nearly ready?"

"Yup, gimme one sec and I'll drag the bags down," Dee replied cheerfully, gesturing for Jenny to come in.

It was finally time for Dee to leave for New York and Jenny was dropping her to the airport. She was surprised at how quickly two weeks had past, but they had flown by, and now here she was in Dee's living room, saying good-bye to yet another friend. After Dee left, only Summer and Jenny would be left from the group, the rest having all returned to college, apart from Tom, of course. Tom's place in Ole Mis' didn't start until January and he had taken the time in between to travel to Europe with his dad.

Jenny was surprised at how much she _didn't_ miss him. It was… funny, in a way. After nearly 15 years of togetherness, she had expected at least a day, maybe two, of mourning and loss, but she hadn't felt anything. The few times they had met after the break-up had been fine-_ish_. They had been cordial, had spent the appropriate amount of time making small-talk, reminiscing and then, after a few smiles and the odd awkward pause, they had drifted to talk to other people. It was like talking to a stranger… or an old friend she hadn't seen in years. And she didn't feel _anything._

A part of her wasn't surprised though. There had been _so_ many changes taking place recently, some as an indirect cause of Julian's last game and most of them directly, that the absence of Tom was lost somewhere in the midst of a large whirlwind of change, and had become, as such, completely insignificant.

After they had returned from Laguna, Jenny had returned home, tossed her bags at the bottom of her wardrobe, and had gone straight to sleep. She had slept the rest of the day, and all of the night away, and when she woke up the next day she found that _everything_ and nothing had changed at the same time.

Julian's game had resulted in a myriad of complex situations that looped and threaded and pulled and stretched and then rebounded back to the beginning, so that externally, everything looked the same, but on closer inspection, revealed a mass of jumbled thoughts and meanings; of concealed agendas, implied messages and hidden secrets. Everyone was keeping something from the others. Jenny wasn't sure why she knew this, or what they were hiding, but she knew they all were. The secret she herself had kept was slowly eating her inside. But she couldn't bear to tell anyone. And it was safe enough to assume, that if she was hiding something so _big_, the rest had to be too.

The change had reflected in their behaviour with each other too. Apart from Dee and Zach, Jenny's interactions with the others had felt…broken somehow, like there was something missing, some _intrinsic_ aspect of trust and companionship had disappeared, and Jenny wasn't sure _how _to fix it. With Summer the rift wasn't as apparent. It was with Audrey that Jenny first detected a hidden undercurrent of _something_-more.

Something electric – mistrusting.

She had first noticed it the morning after in Laguna, but had attributed it to a night of fighting with nightmares. But it had been there a few days after, when they had all met up to say good-bye to Zach. When she had looked it Jenny it had felt like she was looking _through_ her, not at her, and her eyes were always veiled, like she was covering what she really felt. Jenny had thought a few times to ask her about it…but something had always held her back too.

She couldn't accurately place a finger on it, but ever since her last nightmare, after they all turned on her, she just didn't want to confront her friends. She knew it wasn't right, she knew it was just her nightmare twisted by Julian to break her…She knew it, but she couldn't fight it.

Couldn't shake it off.

She could still feel the pain, the tight grip around her heart when they had turned away. Still could taste the saltiness of the tears that had dripped down her face before her world had turned to black.

And she could still hear the words. The taunt's. The blame-placing.

And so, she had let it be. Had stepped away from her friends, placing an invisible barrier between herself and her friends. She could tell the feelings had been reciprocated by the others. Previously they had lived in each others houses, spent practically every day together, and now she barely heard from anyone.

Michael she had expected.

He had barely talked to her since they arrived back, had given her a loose handshake when he left and hadn't gotten in touch since leaving L.A. Tom she accepted too, and was slightly glad for. It was Dee and Audrey that surprised her. The constant phone-calls and the hour long talks had been replaced by brief text messages.

Julian's attempt at splitting them, it seemed, had worked better than he'd anticipated. Sometimes Jenny hated him for what he'd done. Other times she hated herself.

Most of the time though, it felt like she couldn't breathe.

Everyday she woke; feeling like a hole had been ripped inside her. Like she was missing something, something _big_, something integral to her very survival. Everyday she got up to play a part, acted out a scene, pretended to be alive and happy.

Inside she was dying.

And the worst part of it was: she had no one to blame but herself. She had agreed to a new game, she had lost, she had doomed the others. She had opened the closet door and she had killed her Grandfather.

She had said No to Julian.

She was plagued with guilt and was lying to her friends. All in all, the days had turned to torture.

But the nights had turned to living hell.

Every night she lay awake picturing his eyes, his hair and the beautiful arrogant smile he carried like a second nature. Felt the strength of his hands as he held her close, the warmth of his lips, and the fire of his anger. The gentle way he said her name, the shock she felt when he kissed her neck. Every night she would peer into the darkness, hoping, just _hoping _to see an outline of something dark, leaning over her, watching over her.

Every night she was disappointed.

She had tried to cry, thinking that maybe, if she just got it out of her system it would be okay, but no matter what she did, the tears wouldn't come. She was just empty, emotionless and alone.

* * *

"Hey sorry!" Dee said, bounding down the stairs with two suitcases in tow.

"Oh hey, you should have told me you had so many, I would have helped!" Jenny said, concerned.

"Nah, they're not too heavy" Dee said smiling.

"Ok, oh and before I forget" Jenny said, rising from her seat and giving Dee her package, "I got you this. A small, going-to-New-York, present."

"Thanks" Dee said, shooting her a smile, before ripping open the paper. She looked at it for a moment, and then gave Jenny a strong hug. "Thanks" she said, looking at the framed photo of them all.

"No problem" Jenny replied, I know you didn't have one, so I just thought…"

"Its perfect, Jen, really."

"Great" Jenny said softly, then smoothing her skirt said, "So you all ready now?"

"Yup, let's load these puppies in the car first."

After packing the cases in the trunk, Jenny stared up the engine, waiting for Dee to finish saying goodbye to her parents. They drove in silence for a while, stopping at a long red light, before Dee finally spoke.

"Cant believe I'm going to New York"

"Yeah I know" Jenny said, turning to look at her softly, "You excited?"

"Yeah, it's gonna be good to get out of here, get a bit of change." She paused for a moment before starting again. "Things haven't really been the same for a while have they? With all of us?"

"No" Jenny agreed, "They haven't, not since…" she broke off.

There was silence for a few minutes as they both thought, before Dee turned to Jenny again,

"I sometimes get the feeling that there's something we don't know…something _else_ that went down, that you haven't told us. No don't get me wrong." Dee rushed on, as Jenny opened her mouth to speak. "If you haven't told us, it's because you aren't ready, or you feel like you can't and that's fine. But I think its holding you back."

There was silence for a while as Jenny contemplated this. It was unnerving how close Dee was to the truth and how easily she could read her. But then they had been best friends for nearly all of her life. It was to be expected.

"I talked to Aba about what happened." Dee continued. "She said she hasn't talked to you for a while. You should go over and see her. You'll be leaving soon for Uni anyway right?"

"Yeah" Jenny agreed, "I have been meaning too…I just never got around to it…"

"Whenever you get the chance," Dee said, reassuringly.

* * *

The traffic had gotten worse as they neared the airport and the last few minutes had been a rush of luggage trolleys and line queues and last minute ticket checking.

"I'm going to miss you." Jenny said hugging Dee tight. "Stay in touch."

And then Dee had gone, shooting one last wicked smile at Jenny, before going through departures. Jenny had driven home pensively. She had been almost home, when she turned and drove back to Aba's house. For some reason, it felt like the right thing to do.

"Jenny" Aba said softly, when she opened the door. "Come in, I was hoping you would call."

Leading Jenny out onto her patio, she drew her into a gentle embrace. "How are you?" she asked after.

"I'm all right" Jenny lied, absently playing with the handle of her tea-cup.

"Now Jenny" Aba mock-scolded, "I'm old, but not that old." Softening her tone, she said, "Dee told me what happened. The game, your weekend away. It must have been a big shock to you."

Jenny shrugged defensively, "It was hard on all of us."

"I have no doubt it was hard on all of you. But, there is also no doubt that it was hardest on you. Despite what the other may have faced." Sighing deeply, Aba continued. "Julian has known you since you were a child. Out of all of you kids, he knows what affects you the most. What horrors you have faced Jenny, I can't begin to imagine. But you survived, Jenny, you won."

At that Jenny turned her head away. Lying to her friends had been unbearable, but she had done it. Somehow it was different with Aba. She couldn't lie to her. Of all the people Jenny respected in the world, Aba was at the forefront, lying to her would be like lying to a piece of herself.

"I didn't," she said finally, "I didn't win." There was a moment of silence as Jenny let it sink in, before she looked up to Aba again.

"Go on" she said patiently.

Taking a deep breath, Jenny clenched her hands and continued, "I lost, in my final nightmare, it was –something I hadn't expected, and… I lost. But.. Julian let us go in the end. I guess he'd had his revenge or…I don't know." Jenny said.

A part of her felt relieved, keeping the secret to herself had been poisonous, draining away her resources. The loss of such a heavy burden came as a welcome reprieve, after weeks of agony. Aba was looking at her searchingly, with soft amber eyes, when she finished. Holding Jenny's gaze for a few minutes, she smiled softly.

"You love him don't you?" she said, eyes full of sympathy.

It came as such a surprise to Jenny, that she almost said no, but she looked at Aba and saw no judgement and no blame and then her head was nodding of its own accord. And finally, in the back of Aba's house, on a patio surrounded by Lily-of-the Nile's, and soft ferns, Jenny cried.

* * *

Walking into her room, a few hours later, Jenny dragged the back-pack of clothes out from the bottom of her wardrobe. She had just gotten of the phone with Audrey and was now filled with an odd sense of purpose.

Aba had held her for a while and had told her it was all right to feel for Julian.

"Think Jenny," she had said gently, "He had you and he let you go. He proved his love for you is greater than his pride. There is greatness in that. There is goodness in that. He deserves to be loved by you, and there is no shame in admitting it."

She had stayed with Aba for a while, just talking, and then went home. Calling Audrey had been a spur of the moment decision. She had small-talked briefly, asked about college, asked about Michael and then had cleared the air. Starting from the first nightmare, straight through to the last, she told Audrey of everything that had happened. Audrey in turn had filled Jenny in on her experiences. She had faltered a bit towards the end, when she repeated what Dream-Michael had said to her, but she said it eventually.

"I'm sorry Jenny," she'd said quietly after, "I know I've been distant with you, there are some things that I realised that night and it's going to take me some time to figure out."

Jenny had said it was all right and that she understood. And she did.

It wasn't better yet, but it was getting there.

Throwing the backpack on her bed, Jenny pulled out the crinkled yellow dress, the jeans and the ruined white shirt. Putting the dress in her dry-clean pile, she gathered the jeans and bought them to the washing machine. It was when she was turning out the pockets, that Jenny got her first surprise. There, nestled in her pocket, like a small opal jewel, was a white rose bud, looking as if it had just been plucked.

Jenny stared in awe for a few minutes, before placing it gently on top of the washing machine. Throwing the clothes in, she started the wash on 30 degrees, and gently picked the bud up again, cradling it softly in her palm. Filling a glass bowl with luke-warm water, Jenny carried it to her room and carefully placed the bud in. As soon as the bud touched the water, the petals unfurled gratefully, bathing the room in a rich intoxicating smell. Placing it on her windowsill, Jenny leaned over the bloom, breathing in the smell in glee, there was something…relaxing, almost narcotic in its aroma, making Jenny feel –calm, almost happy.

The sunlight poured in through the window, bathing the petals in a soft golden glow and creating small rainbows in the water. Jenny was turning away when a glint of gold caught her eye. Curious, she leaned over the bowl again. It was then that Jenny got her second surprise.

There, nestled between the soft petals, was a small gold ring; A seventeenth century, gold poesy ring, with an inscription on the inside -_to bind the speaker to the words. _

With trembling hands Jenny lifted the ring from the flower, staring at it in amazement. The last time she had seen the ring it was on a chain around Julian's neck. She had honestly thought she would never see it again. And now here it was, in her hands, as same as it always was. It was, she realised, a gift of forgiveness and a gift of farewell.

"Thank you." She whispered quietly, clenching her hand tightly around the ring. Brushing stray tears from her cheeks, Jenny let out a quivering breath, then shaking herself she walked over to her dresser, carefully placing the ring in her jewellery box. Maybe someday she would wear it again, right now it was just enough to have it. Walking out of her room, she glanced briefly at the flower and smiled softly.

Some how, it seemed, everything was going to work out.

THE END

* * *

_**A/N:** Well!!... what a ride! Talk about a labour of love! I've been working on this story for almost a year now...and now that it's at the end...well somehow it's almost anti-climatic! But definately poignant!_

_Have to say a big big bigggg THANK YOU to all of you who've read and all who've reviewed! (You all know who you are! and if you don't, check the review list! :P)_

_Seriously reviews are addictive!! I really hope you liked!! I know it's not a Jenny/Julian ending... but hey, at least no one's dead right!? (Seriously was not happy when Julian was killed off!) Besides I had to give our favourite shadow man a bit of a break... you can't keep having the same girl reject you without feeling slightly undignified! So I've given him his pride back!_

_Anyway! really hope you liked! Do review (hint, hint!) and let me know whether you loved it, hated it, or couldn't care less either way!_

_Also on the next page I've stuck up a little poem I wrote about the story! Just for fun! -- clicky!_

_xxx_


	33. Chapter 33

**The Devil's Plea**

_Come dance with me, oh maiden fair,  
__Oh maiden white, of the mortal realm_.

On a starlit night, when the moons' aglow,  
Twine your hand with mine, together we'll go,  
As fingers lock and palms do meet,  
Once broken lines, are now complete.

Come my love, we'll wander far  
'tween worlds of colour, and lands afar,  
We'll pierce the veils, of sight, of mind,  
And ancient mysteries, will us unite.

_Come soar__ with me, oh mistress of air,  
__Oh mistress true, of the __earthly realm._

In the leafy bower, where the wood nymphs dwell,  
We'll sup the wine, of Dionysus hand.  
Oh, Bacchus, Iacchus, sweet madness' king,  
Unleash the frenzy; the raptures' within.

Come be my Semele, my earthbound lark,  
We'll forge a beginning of lightness and dark,  
Where lusty black and sunlight gold,  
Form unions fused with magic's untold.

_Come quick to me, my goddess of light,  
__Oh goddess of__ flame, for ours is the might._

To the black hallowed forest, ill take you away,  
I'll play the hunter; you'll be my prey,  
Through thickets of pines and rocks overthrown,  
Ill catch you, ill claim you; ill make you my own.

Come yield to me, taste reckless abandon,  
We'll travel the night on wings of dark passion,  
Till breathless and sated, we'll flow past our doom,  
And bathe in the glow of the vast Sanguine moon.

_Come breathe for me, my angel of life,  
__My angel of soul, for you'll be my bride._

As night starts to wane, and the shadows depart,  
To my palace ill take you; a new life to start.  
I'll dress you in gowns of deep ruby red;  
Place crowns of thorned roses upon your sweet head.

Come cede to me, surrender existence,  
For you are the one I've claimed from a distance.  
From the darkness I've watched, and I've waited until,  
I could own you, possess you; make you bend to my will.

_Com__e dance with me, oh maiden fair,  
__Oh maiden white, of the earthly realm._

_Come soar with me, my goddess of light,  
__My angel of soul, for now you are mine._


End file.
